This week's edition of my week-in-review feature, "The 3", includes a reminder that believers in Christ are being persecuted all over the world, and Iran is one of those countries that has been particularly noteworthy in its treatment of Christian pastors. Also, a large student missions conference has taken place this week in St. Louis, drawing thousands to come together and to be strengthened in their faith. And, the top story - Christmas, which provides a time of celebration for many, but sorrow for some, and this Christmas Day and the preceding days offered great ministry opportunities.
3 - Iranian pastors face more persecution
It's only a few days before the advocacy group Open Doors will release its 2013 World Watch List that ranks countries in the world according to the degree of their persecution of Christians. Last year, North Korea was #1...again. And, Iran was #5.
The way that Iran treats Christians, especially Christian pastors and those who sympathize with them, has been in the news this year primarily because of the plight of Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who was released from prison just a few weeks ago - he is now back in prison, due to apparently what officials are describing as some sort of technicality. According to Religion Today, citing ASSIST News Service, sources at Christian Solidarity Worldwide report that Nadarkhani has
been returned to jail on the orders of the directors of Lakan Prison,
who claimed he had been released several days too early due to the
insistence of his lawyer, Mohammed Ali Dadkhah. "We are disappointed to hear Pastor Nadarkhani has been
returned to prison in such an irregular manner," said Mervyn Thomas of
CSW. "The timing is insensitive and especially sad for his wife and
sons, who must have been looking forward to celebrating Christmas with
him for the first time in three years." Dadkhah, by the way, has been sentenced to nine years in prison, reportedly due to his attempts to free the pastor.
Religion Today also reports that a 32-year-old Iranian who is a U.S. citizen and a Christian convert has
been imprisoned without notice of any formal charges while visiting his
family in Iran, according to Fox News. In July, the Rev. Saeed Abedini, who lives in the U.S. with his wife
and two young children, was making one of his frequent trips to visit
his parents and relatives in Iran when he was pulled off a bus by Iranian authorities, who confiscated his passports and subjected
him to intense interrogation, saying he must face a penalty for his
previous work as a Christian leader in Iran. He is currently in prison awaiting trial. His family members, who are also Christian converts
from Islam, are under house arrest.
And the website reports on an Iranian pastor who wrote a letter from prison, ministering to Christians and displaying a positive attitude despite his suffering. Pastor Benham Irani was leading the Church of Iran in the city of Karaj before his arrest in 2011 for "acting against the interests of national
security". He
has reportedly been tortured in prison and was denied hospitalization for a
bleeding ulcer. Several times he was found unconscious in his prison
cell, raising fears for his well-being. His wife and two children have
said they are afraid that unless the beatings stop and he is offered
proper medical care, he could die in prison soon.
The nation of Iran, which operates under strict Islamic law, is a place that is become quite well-known for its persecution of Christians. Pray for these and other church leaders who are facing stiff difficulties as a result of their faith in Christ.
2 - Urbana student missions conference brings together a multitude of young adults
Every three years, thousands of colleges students gather to be encouraged and equipped in their walk with Christ and in sharing the gospel at the Urbana student missions conference. The Christian Post reports that this year, an estimated 16,000 Christian youth attended opening night of Urbana 2012 at the Edwards Jones Dome in St. Louis Thursday. InterVarsity
Christian Fellowship organizers, who are hosting the event, hope that
students will come to a decision about serving God locally or globally.
Tom Lin, who serves as InterVarsity's Vice-President and the conference director, is quoted as saying to the students, "Surrender
your plans and allow God to surprise you. God's invitation may be
unexpected...You and I are
called to share God's Kingdom news not just for our campuses, not just
for our cities, but also for the ends of the earth – the unfamiliar
places, the unfamiliar cultures, and for unfamiliar friends."
The Post reports that David Platt, senior pastor at the Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, said to the young people at the conference: "Jesus is the very word of God made flesh … Jesus is all of these
things and [yet] we have reduced Him to a poor, puny savior who is just
begging for us to accept Him into our hearts."
The first Urbana conference was held in 1946, before it went by that name, which was adopted after moving to the University of Illinois campus at Urbana-Champaign in 1948. More than 250,000 have been challenged in their participation in global missions since that first conference, which was held in Toronto.
This is a critical gathering that God has used to stir that hearts of young people to be involved in kingdom work.
1 - Christmas brings celebration, sorrow, and wacky weather
Christmas Day brings believers in Jesus Christ an opportunity to reflect, to worship, and to spend time with not only family, but fellow church members, as well. Churches sponsored special musical and dramatic performances during the period leading up to Christmas Day, and there were candlelight services and other special events observed during a unique 3-day period from Sunday through Tuesday.
While it was a time of celebration for many, it was also a time of sorrow for some, including the families of the victims of the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, less than 2 weeks removed from the deadly shooting of 26 people, including 20 children.
And, it was a wacky and deadly weather day, as a massive storm system brought snow and ice to the nation's midsection and severe storms and tornadoes to the Southeastern United States. There were several deaths reported from the dangerous weather, but not in Mobile, AL, where an EF-2 tornado rumbled through the center of the city, resulting in considerable property damage, but thankfully, no loss of life or life-threatening injuries. And, the reminder of treacherous weather continues to be felt in the New York City area, where the cleanup from Hurricane Sandy continues, along with the ministry opportunities accompanying it.
And, charitable opportunities abounded during the season, giving Christians and Christian ministries the ability to shine the light of Christ to people in need. Earlier in the month, a large Miami area church had raised over $600,000 over a 48-hour period to reach out to people in their community. This is indicative of how we can intentionally give of ourselves in honor of the One who gave it all for us.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Sunday, December 23, 2012
The 3 - December 23, 2012
In this week's edition of "The 3", my week-in-review feature, we see the huge box office results for a film based on a book by a Christian author who integrates a faith perspective into his writings. There was also more court action concerning that divisive mandate that free contraception and abortion drugs be provided in health insurance plans, despite the objections of religious organizations and companies. And, the top story involves a new study that illustrates the prevalence of Christianity in the world today, and as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, reflecting on these results could propel us to confidently share our faith.
3 - Movie based on Christian author's book sets December box office record
The new movie based on the writings of Christian author J.R.R. Tolkien has set an all-time December record for an opening weekend, with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Tolkien integrated a faith element into his works, including The Lord of the Rings trilogy, as well as The Hobbit, and it is said that through Tolkien's influence, his friend C.S. Lewis came to Christ.
Hannah Goodwyn of CBN.com writes:
The movie made another $138 million internationally, bringing up its worldwide total to $222 million after only three days – already making well over its estimated $180 million production budget.
For a "FilmTalk Small Group Bible Study" based on The Hobbit, go to www.movieministry.com or www.moviebiblestudy.com. And, watch those sites for material on the forthcoming film, Les Miserables, which is said to possess a strong redemptive element.
2 - More activity regarding the HHS contraception mandate: new lawsuit, court victory for 2 schools and 1 company, defeat for another
This week was a very active week concerning the Obama Administration's mandate that employers, including religious employers, provide for free contraception and abortion-inducing drugs in their health care insurance plans. The week began with the news of Domino's Pizza founder Tom Monaghan filing suit on behalf of his company, Domino's Farms (the pizza chain is now a public corporation). The following day, there was news out of the D.C. Circuit that a federal appeals court handed Wheaton College and Belmont Abbey College a major victory in their challenges to the HHS mandate. According to the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, who argued the case on behalf of the plaintiffs: Last summer, two lower courts had dismissed the Colleges’ cases as premature. On Tuesday, the appellate court reinstated those cases, and ordered the Obama Administration to report back every 60 days—starting in mid-February—until the Administration makes good on its promise to issue a new rule that protects the Colleges’ religious freedom. The new rule must be issued by March 31, 2013.
According to the Becket fund, the court based its decision on two concessions that government lawyers made in open court. First, the government promised “it would never enforce [the mandate] in its current form” against Wheaton, Belmont Abbey, or other similarly situated religious groups. Second, the government promised it would publish a proposed new rule “in the first quarter of 2013” and would finalize it by next August. The administration made both concessions under intense questioning by the appellate judges. The court deemed the concessions a “binding commitment” and has retained jurisdiction over the case to ensure the government follows through.
There were also conflicting decisions in separate circuits concerning for-profit companies' suits against the mandate. These companies face stiff penalties if they do not comply with the mandate by January 1, 2013.
According to the Gleanings blog at ChristianityToday.com:
The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals refused to grant Christian-owned Hobby Lobby an injunction against the mandate, ruling that the craft chain "has not demonstrated a substantial likelihood of success on the merits" of the case. This is the second loss for Hobby Lobby, which was appealing a lower court decision to the appeals court. It now plans to take its case to the U.S. Supreme Court for temporary relief prior to the mandate, and the fines for non-compliance, take effect. Hobby Lobby could pay some $1.3 million per day in fines.
However, a Missouri federal district court granted a preliminary injunction to a small metal-recycling business, American Pulveriser Company, owned by two evangelicals, ruling that they do have a "substantial likelihood" of winning their case.
The D.C. case has great significance because the court is requiring the government to report its admitted attempts to exempt religious entities from having to violate their consciences and provide these drugs or face stiff penalties. For-profit companies, on the other hand, will begin paying penalties beginning January 1st for non-compliance, which will result in a significant financial burden and likely increases in the cost of their products.
1 - New study shows Christianity tops global religious landscape
This week, the results of a new study by the Pew Forum on Religion in Public Life were released, and the data indicates that almost one-third of the people on the globe claim to be - Christian. The study, entitled, "The Global Religious Landscape: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World’s Major Religious Groups as of 2010" shows that of the world's 6.9 billion people, 2.2 billion or 32 percent are Christians.
According to a report on the survey at ChristianExaminer.com, only 12 percent of Christians live in North America, and the vast majority of Christians, 99 percent, live outside the Middle East-North Africa region where Christianity began.
Apart from North America, Christians are geographically dispersed, with 26 percent in Europe, 24 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean, 24 percent in sub-Saharan Africa and 13 percent in the Asia-Pacific region, the study found, based on 2010 data.
Pew reported that the world's population includes 1.6 billion Muslims, 1 billion Hindus, nearly 500 million Buddhists, 400 million adherents of various folk and traditional religions, 58 million adherents the study confined to the category of "other," comprised of many religions including Baha'i faith, Jainism, Sikhism, Shintoism, Taoism and Wicca.
Also, the study states that most of the world's population, 5.8 billion or 84 percent, affiliates with a particular religion, leaving 1.6 billion, or 16 percent, with no religious affiliation. But many with no religious affiliation hold religious or spiritual beliefs, such as a belief in God or a universal spirit, while not identifying with a particular religion.
Regarding the United States, the study found that 78 percent, or 243,060,000 of the country's 310,390,000 people are Christian.
There is much to be learned from these survey results - for one thing, we can be encouraged at the significant number of people worldwide and in America who claim to be Christians. This can give us confidence that Christianity is and can be a powerful force in the world today. But, even at that, Christians only make up one-third of the religious population worldwide...this tells us there is quite a mission field. And, as we continue to track, there are many - generally between 15 and 20 percent - that say they do not follow any particular religion, although many claim to be spiritual. There is a great affinity for the divine in the world today, and as we follow the truth of the Bible, then we can help point people who are searching to a knowledge of our Savior.
3 - Movie based on Christian author's book sets December box office record
The new movie based on the writings of Christian author J.R.R. Tolkien has set an all-time December record for an opening weekend, with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Tolkien integrated a faith element into his works, including The Lord of the Rings trilogy, as well as The Hobbit, and it is said that through Tolkien's influence, his friend C.S. Lewis came to Christ.
Hannah Goodwyn of CBN.com writes:
J.R.R. Tolkien's faith permeated his work, starting with The Hobbit. Bilbo's adventure is more than just a fictional children's story about hobbits, wizards, trolls and goblins. This fantasy shines a light on the evil and good in human nature – greed, suspicion, bravery and loyalty. Thankfully, that's not at all lost on the cast personifying Tolkien's beloved Middle Earth characters.She quotes poet W.H. Auden as saying:
If one is to take a tale of this kind seriously, one must feel that, however superficially unlike the world we live in its characters and events may be, it nevertheless holds up the mirror to the only nature we know, our own; in this, too, Mr. Tolkien has succeeded superbly, and what happened in the year of the Shire 1418 in the Third Age of Middle Earth is not only fascinating in A. D. 1954 but also a warning and an inspiration.The Christian Post reports that the first movie in what will be a trilogy of films based on Tolkien's beloved children's book earned an estimated $84.78 million over Friday, Saturday and Sunday last weekend, according to Box Office Mojo. This is higher than the previous December record of 2007's "I Am Legend", starring Will Smith. The premiere also exceeded the $73.3 million debut of "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" in 2003. (It should be noted that theaters offering 3D/IMAX viewing options might have inflated "The Hobbit's" numbers.)
The movie made another $138 million internationally, bringing up its worldwide total to $222 million after only three days – already making well over its estimated $180 million production budget.
For a "FilmTalk Small Group Bible Study" based on The Hobbit, go to www.movieministry.com or www.moviebiblestudy.com. And, watch those sites for material on the forthcoming film, Les Miserables, which is said to possess a strong redemptive element.
2 - More activity regarding the HHS contraception mandate: new lawsuit, court victory for 2 schools and 1 company, defeat for another
This week was a very active week concerning the Obama Administration's mandate that employers, including religious employers, provide for free contraception and abortion-inducing drugs in their health care insurance plans. The week began with the news of Domino's Pizza founder Tom Monaghan filing suit on behalf of his company, Domino's Farms (the pizza chain is now a public corporation). The following day, there was news out of the D.C. Circuit that a federal appeals court handed Wheaton College and Belmont Abbey College a major victory in their challenges to the HHS mandate. According to the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, who argued the case on behalf of the plaintiffs: Last summer, two lower courts had dismissed the Colleges’ cases as premature. On Tuesday, the appellate court reinstated those cases, and ordered the Obama Administration to report back every 60 days—starting in mid-February—until the Administration makes good on its promise to issue a new rule that protects the Colleges’ religious freedom. The new rule must be issued by March 31, 2013.
According to the Becket fund, the court based its decision on two concessions that government lawyers made in open court. First, the government promised “it would never enforce [the mandate] in its current form” against Wheaton, Belmont Abbey, or other similarly situated religious groups. Second, the government promised it would publish a proposed new rule “in the first quarter of 2013” and would finalize it by next August. The administration made both concessions under intense questioning by the appellate judges. The court deemed the concessions a “binding commitment” and has retained jurisdiction over the case to ensure the government follows through.
There were also conflicting decisions in separate circuits concerning for-profit companies' suits against the mandate. These companies face stiff penalties if they do not comply with the mandate by January 1, 2013.
According to the Gleanings blog at ChristianityToday.com:
The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals refused to grant Christian-owned Hobby Lobby an injunction against the mandate, ruling that the craft chain "has not demonstrated a substantial likelihood of success on the merits" of the case. This is the second loss for Hobby Lobby, which was appealing a lower court decision to the appeals court. It now plans to take its case to the U.S. Supreme Court for temporary relief prior to the mandate, and the fines for non-compliance, take effect. Hobby Lobby could pay some $1.3 million per day in fines.
However, a Missouri federal district court granted a preliminary injunction to a small metal-recycling business, American Pulveriser Company, owned by two evangelicals, ruling that they do have a "substantial likelihood" of winning their case.
The D.C. case has great significance because the court is requiring the government to report its admitted attempts to exempt religious entities from having to violate their consciences and provide these drugs or face stiff penalties. For-profit companies, on the other hand, will begin paying penalties beginning January 1st for non-compliance, which will result in a significant financial burden and likely increases in the cost of their products.
1 - New study shows Christianity tops global religious landscape
This week, the results of a new study by the Pew Forum on Religion in Public Life were released, and the data indicates that almost one-third of the people on the globe claim to be - Christian. The study, entitled, "The Global Religious Landscape: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World’s Major Religious Groups as of 2010" shows that of the world's 6.9 billion people, 2.2 billion or 32 percent are Christians.
According to a report on the survey at ChristianExaminer.com, only 12 percent of Christians live in North America, and the vast majority of Christians, 99 percent, live outside the Middle East-North Africa region where Christianity began.
Apart from North America, Christians are geographically dispersed, with 26 percent in Europe, 24 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean, 24 percent in sub-Saharan Africa and 13 percent in the Asia-Pacific region, the study found, based on 2010 data.
Pew reported that the world's population includes 1.6 billion Muslims, 1 billion Hindus, nearly 500 million Buddhists, 400 million adherents of various folk and traditional religions, 58 million adherents the study confined to the category of "other," comprised of many religions including Baha'i faith, Jainism, Sikhism, Shintoism, Taoism and Wicca.
Also, the study states that most of the world's population, 5.8 billion or 84 percent, affiliates with a particular religion, leaving 1.6 billion, or 16 percent, with no religious affiliation. But many with no religious affiliation hold religious or spiritual beliefs, such as a belief in God or a universal spirit, while not identifying with a particular religion.
Regarding the United States, the study found that 78 percent, or 243,060,000 of the country's 310,390,000 people are Christian.
There is much to be learned from these survey results - for one thing, we can be encouraged at the significant number of people worldwide and in America who claim to be Christians. This can give us confidence that Christianity is and can be a powerful force in the world today. But, even at that, Christians only make up one-third of the religious population worldwide...this tells us there is quite a mission field. And, as we continue to track, there are many - generally between 15 and 20 percent - that say they do not follow any particular religion, although many claim to be spiritual. There is a great affinity for the divine in the world today, and as we follow the truth of the Bible, then we can help point people who are searching to a knowledge of our Savior.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
The 3 - December 16, 2012
This week, our nation's collective consciousness has been damaged by the horrific events in Connecticut on Friday - that story and the Christian response to it comprise the overall top story this week in this edition of "The 3", my week-in-review feature. Also, this week, a Michigan college student who was ejected from a counseling program because she referred, to another counselor, a potential client who was having some issues concerning homosexuality, settled with her university. And, pro-life license plates are available or will be available in over 25 states, but now one state will have to remove them, based on a court action, and another state is the site for further court action to make them available there.
3 - Michigan college student settles with university in court case involving the referral of a gay student to another counselor
Julea Ward and Eastern Michigan University have reached a settlement in a case involving Julea's attempt to avoid violating her religious beliefs by referring a potential client to another counselor.
According to the Alliance Defending Freedom, Julea enrolled in a counseling course at EMU in January 2009 and was assigned a potential client seeking assistance regarding a sexual relationship that was contrary to Ward’s religious convictions. She recognized the potential conscience issue with the client and asked a supervisor how to handle the matter. The supervisor advised Ward to reassign the potential client to a different counselor. EMU then informed Ward that she could only stay in the counseling program if she agreed to undergo a “remediation” program. Its purpose was to help her “see the error of her ways” and change her “belief system” as it relates to counseling about homosexual relationships. Julea filed suit against the university, and a lower court ruled in favor of EMU.
In a strongly worded opinion, the 6th Circuit reversed that lower court decision in favor of the university and sent the case back for trial, saying, “a reasonable jury could conclude that Ward’s professors ejected her from the counseling program because of hostility toward her speech and faith….” Moreover, the decision notes, “A university cannot compel a student to alter or violate her belief systems based on a phantom policy as the price for obtaining a degree.” This week it was announced that Julea had reached a settlement with the University.
As part of the settlement, EMU agreed to pay Ward a sum of money to settle her claims and to remove the expulsion from her record.
ADF Senior Legal Counsel Jeremy Tedesco is quoted as saying, “When Julea sought to refer a potential client to another qualified counselor--a common, professional practice that is endorsed by her profession’s code of ethics--EMU denied the referral. Then it attacked and questioned her religious beliefs, ultimately expelling her from the program. We are pleased that Julea and her constitutionally protected rights have been vindicated.”
2 - Pro-life license plates ruled unconstitutional in North Carolina, issue returns to court in New York
Late last week in North Carolina, a federal judge ruled that the "Choose Life" license plates in that state are unconstitutional because there is not a pro-abortion plate. The legislature had approved the plates in 2011, and the ACLU of North Carolina Legal Foundation filed suit in U.S. District Court.
According to LifeNews.com, U.S. District Court Judge James C. Fox ruled Friday that North Carolina can’t sell the pro-life license plates, saying, “The State’s offering of a Choose Life license plate in the absence of a pro-choice plate constitutes viewpoint discrimination in violation of the First Amendment.” He had already issued a temporary injunction and his decision on Friday, December 7th makes that decision permanent.
Bobbie Meyer, the state director of Carolina Pregnancy Care Fellowship, told LifeNews: “North Carolina is the only state in the southeast that refuses to let its citizens purchase the choose life license plate. For eight years the legislation for the choose life plate has been denied a vote even though more than 130 other plates have been approved.”
She went on to say that, “Here in NC there are 85 pregnancy care centers who last year saw over 46,000 women and children.” An extra fee is charged for the plates, and the proceeds are distributed to pregnancy care centers across North Carolina.
Ultimately, the Choose Life plates across the nation have raised over $8.7 million and over 400,000 plates have been sold or renewed in the 17 states that currently have the plate available. Reportedly, almost a dozen other states have approved the sale of such a plate.
New York is not one of them. The issue was first introduced some 8 years ago, and despite a favorable court action on the constitutionality of the plate, the state continues to block the sale of "Choose Life" plates. Proponents and opponents were back in court this week. According to CitizenLink, the Children First Foundation, a pro-adoption organization in New York, is suing the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles for rejecting the nonprofit’s application to sponsor a “Choose Life” specialty plate.
The first lawsuit was filed by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) in 2004 on behalf of The Children First Foundation (TCFF), dedicated to helping women with unexpected pregnancies choose adoption.
In 2011, a district court found the state guilty of viewpoint discrimination when it refused the Foundations request for the pro-life plates. The court issued an order for the state to approve the application, but placed the order on hold until the completion of any appeals in the case.
“Pro-adoption organizations have the right to a specialty license plate on the same terms as any other organization, and the district court affirmed that,” ADF Senior Legal Counsel Jeremy Tedesco said.
1 - Christian leaders, organizations respond to Newtown tragedy
It is truly the unthinkable, an unimaginable expression of evil. And, within minutes of a gunman entering the premises of Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, 20 children and 6 adults were dead in one of the worst school shootings in the U.S. history.
As California pastor Greg Laurie described it, according to the Christian Post:
"It's Christmas time...Parents bundle up their children another day for school before Christmas vacation starts in the small town of Newtown, Connecticut. There's shopping to do, errands to run before they pick them up.
"Then the worst imaginable scenario takes place. A young man walks into Sandy Hook Elementary School and begins shooting. When the horror finally stops 20 children and 6 adults have been shot and killed. This is just heartbreaking."
Laurie, who lost his 33-year-old son, Christopher, as the result of a deadly car accident in 2008, said he knows the excruciating pain of losing a child.
"The experts will opine on why this happened. All I can say is this was pure evil. The heartlessness and wickedness of this man that did the shooting is really unimaginable," he wrote. "I know from personal experience that the pain of losing a child is a fate worse than death for a parent.
Christian leaders and organizations have responded to the tragedy. Chaplains from the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team were diverted from their activity ministering to the Hurricane Sandy victims to come to Connecticut. Franklin Graham spoke out, saying: "Senseless killings like the one we've seen today in Newtown, Conn., leave us stunned and looking for answers...The Bible tells us the human heart is 'wicked' and 'who can know it?' My heart aches for the victims, their families and the entire community."
"One thing we can be absolutely sure of is that God loves each one of the victims and all those who are suffering right now as a result of this vicious act..."
Christian author and speaker Max Lucado crafted a special prayer as his response:
"Dear Jesus,
It's a good thing you were born at night. This world sure seems dark. I have a good eye for silver linings. But they seem dimmer lately.
These killings, Lord. These children, Lord. Innocence violated. Raw evil demonstrated.
The whole world seems on edge. Trigger-happy. Ticked off…"
He continued, "Your world seems a bit darker this Christmas. But you were born in the dark, right? You came at night. The shepherds were nightshift workers. The Wise Men followed a star. Your first cries were heard in the shadows. To see your face, Mary and Joseph needed a candle flame. It was dark. Dark with Herod's jealousy. Dark with Roman oppression. Dark with poverty. Dark with violence…"
He concluded, "This Christmas, we ask you, heal us, help us, be born anew in us.
Hopefully,
Your Children"
In times of tragedy, people so often turn to faith, and President Obama was scheduled to be part of an interfaith service Sunday night in Newtown. There have been special services and prayer vigils throughout the area since the tragedy occurred.
And, according to former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, it is the lack of faith being taught in schools that has contributed to an atmosphere conducive to violence. He is quoted by the Post as saying that:
"Should we be so surprised that schools have become such a place of carnage? Because we've made it a place where we don't want to talk about eternity, life, what responsibility means, accountability..."
"That we're not just gonna have to be accountable to the police if they catch us but one day we stand before a holy God in judgment. If we don't believe that, then we don't fear that," Huckabee added. "People are going to want to pass new laws... [but] This is a heart issue ... laws don't change this kind of thing."
3 - Michigan college student settles with university in court case involving the referral of a gay student to another counselor
Julea Ward and Eastern Michigan University have reached a settlement in a case involving Julea's attempt to avoid violating her religious beliefs by referring a potential client to another counselor.
According to the Alliance Defending Freedom, Julea enrolled in a counseling course at EMU in January 2009 and was assigned a potential client seeking assistance regarding a sexual relationship that was contrary to Ward’s religious convictions. She recognized the potential conscience issue with the client and asked a supervisor how to handle the matter. The supervisor advised Ward to reassign the potential client to a different counselor. EMU then informed Ward that she could only stay in the counseling program if she agreed to undergo a “remediation” program. Its purpose was to help her “see the error of her ways” and change her “belief system” as it relates to counseling about homosexual relationships. Julea filed suit against the university, and a lower court ruled in favor of EMU.
In a strongly worded opinion, the 6th Circuit reversed that lower court decision in favor of the university and sent the case back for trial, saying, “a reasonable jury could conclude that Ward’s professors ejected her from the counseling program because of hostility toward her speech and faith….” Moreover, the decision notes, “A university cannot compel a student to alter or violate her belief systems based on a phantom policy as the price for obtaining a degree.” This week it was announced that Julea had reached a settlement with the University.
As part of the settlement, EMU agreed to pay Ward a sum of money to settle her claims and to remove the expulsion from her record.
ADF Senior Legal Counsel Jeremy Tedesco is quoted as saying, “When Julea sought to refer a potential client to another qualified counselor--a common, professional practice that is endorsed by her profession’s code of ethics--EMU denied the referral. Then it attacked and questioned her religious beliefs, ultimately expelling her from the program. We are pleased that Julea and her constitutionally protected rights have been vindicated.”
2 - Pro-life license plates ruled unconstitutional in North Carolina, issue returns to court in New York
Late last week in North Carolina, a federal judge ruled that the "Choose Life" license plates in that state are unconstitutional because there is not a pro-abortion plate. The legislature had approved the plates in 2011, and the ACLU of North Carolina Legal Foundation filed suit in U.S. District Court.
According to LifeNews.com, U.S. District Court Judge James C. Fox ruled Friday that North Carolina can’t sell the pro-life license plates, saying, “The State’s offering of a Choose Life license plate in the absence of a pro-choice plate constitutes viewpoint discrimination in violation of the First Amendment.” He had already issued a temporary injunction and his decision on Friday, December 7th makes that decision permanent.
Bobbie Meyer, the state director of Carolina Pregnancy Care Fellowship, told LifeNews: “North Carolina is the only state in the southeast that refuses to let its citizens purchase the choose life license plate. For eight years the legislation for the choose life plate has been denied a vote even though more than 130 other plates have been approved.”
She went on to say that, “Here in NC there are 85 pregnancy care centers who last year saw over 46,000 women and children.” An extra fee is charged for the plates, and the proceeds are distributed to pregnancy care centers across North Carolina.
Ultimately, the Choose Life plates across the nation have raised over $8.7 million and over 400,000 plates have been sold or renewed in the 17 states that currently have the plate available. Reportedly, almost a dozen other states have approved the sale of such a plate.
New York is not one of them. The issue was first introduced some 8 years ago, and despite a favorable court action on the constitutionality of the plate, the state continues to block the sale of "Choose Life" plates. Proponents and opponents were back in court this week. According to CitizenLink, the Children First Foundation, a pro-adoption organization in New York, is suing the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles for rejecting the nonprofit’s application to sponsor a “Choose Life” specialty plate.
The first lawsuit was filed by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) in 2004 on behalf of The Children First Foundation (TCFF), dedicated to helping women with unexpected pregnancies choose adoption.
In 2011, a district court found the state guilty of viewpoint discrimination when it refused the Foundations request for the pro-life plates. The court issued an order for the state to approve the application, but placed the order on hold until the completion of any appeals in the case.
“Pro-adoption organizations have the right to a specialty license plate on the same terms as any other organization, and the district court affirmed that,” ADF Senior Legal Counsel Jeremy Tedesco said.
1 - Christian leaders, organizations respond to Newtown tragedy
It is truly the unthinkable, an unimaginable expression of evil. And, within minutes of a gunman entering the premises of Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, 20 children and 6 adults were dead in one of the worst school shootings in the U.S. history.
As California pastor Greg Laurie described it, according to the Christian Post:
"It's Christmas time...Parents bundle up their children another day for school before Christmas vacation starts in the small town of Newtown, Connecticut. There's shopping to do, errands to run before they pick them up.
"Then the worst imaginable scenario takes place. A young man walks into Sandy Hook Elementary School and begins shooting. When the horror finally stops 20 children and 6 adults have been shot and killed. This is just heartbreaking."
Laurie, who lost his 33-year-old son, Christopher, as the result of a deadly car accident in 2008, said he knows the excruciating pain of losing a child.
"The experts will opine on why this happened. All I can say is this was pure evil. The heartlessness and wickedness of this man that did the shooting is really unimaginable," he wrote. "I know from personal experience that the pain of losing a child is a fate worse than death for a parent.
Christian leaders and organizations have responded to the tragedy. Chaplains from the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team were diverted from their activity ministering to the Hurricane Sandy victims to come to Connecticut. Franklin Graham spoke out, saying: "Senseless killings like the one we've seen today in Newtown, Conn., leave us stunned and looking for answers...The Bible tells us the human heart is 'wicked' and 'who can know it?' My heart aches for the victims, their families and the entire community."
"One thing we can be absolutely sure of is that God loves each one of the victims and all those who are suffering right now as a result of this vicious act..."
Christian author and speaker Max Lucado crafted a special prayer as his response:
"Dear Jesus,
It's a good thing you were born at night. This world sure seems dark. I have a good eye for silver linings. But they seem dimmer lately.
These killings, Lord. These children, Lord. Innocence violated. Raw evil demonstrated.
The whole world seems on edge. Trigger-happy. Ticked off…"
He continued, "Your world seems a bit darker this Christmas. But you were born in the dark, right? You came at night. The shepherds were nightshift workers. The Wise Men followed a star. Your first cries were heard in the shadows. To see your face, Mary and Joseph needed a candle flame. It was dark. Dark with Herod's jealousy. Dark with Roman oppression. Dark with poverty. Dark with violence…"
He concluded, "This Christmas, we ask you, heal us, help us, be born anew in us.
Hopefully,
Your Children"
In times of tragedy, people so often turn to faith, and President Obama was scheduled to be part of an interfaith service Sunday night in Newtown. There have been special services and prayer vigils throughout the area since the tragedy occurred.
And, according to former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, it is the lack of faith being taught in schools that has contributed to an atmosphere conducive to violence. He is quoted by the Post as saying that:
"Should we be so surprised that schools have become such a place of carnage? Because we've made it a place where we don't want to talk about eternity, life, what responsibility means, accountability..."
"That we're not just gonna have to be accountable to the police if they catch us but one day we stand before a holy God in judgment. If we don't believe that, then we don't fear that," Huckabee added. "People are going to want to pass new laws... [but] This is a heart issue ... laws don't change this kind of thing."
Sunday, December 09, 2012
The 3 - December 9, 2012
This week's edition of "The 3" includes another flashpoint regarding the observance of Christmas, this time involving a school and church in Arkansas. Also, there is a great report from a leading Bible translating ministry this week. And, the top story involves the nation's top court and one of our leading institutions - traditional marriage.
3 - Charlie Brown Christmas play cancelled after controversy
It seemed like a harmless holiday season field trip - a group of elementary school students in Little Rock, Arkansas, going to see a play called, "Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown". Even though it was not mandatory, a parent reportedly was upset with the school for taking students to a local church, Agape Church. The mother than contacted the Arkansas Society of Freethinkers (ASF), and the organization complained to the Little Rock School District on her behalf.
According to the Christian Post, the principal of Terry Elementary School, Sandra Register decided not to cancel the field trip, and school board attorneys had determined that the trip was acceptable. However, the church announced this week that the special presentation for school students has been cancelled.
Happy Caldwell, pastor of Agape Church, issued a statement on the church's website on Wednesday, stating that while he believes the school was within its constitutional rights to bring students to the production, the church has nevertheless decided to cancel it special showing for students.
"It is not our desire to put hard working, sacrificial teachers and cast members in harm's way," wrote Caldwell. "What we want said is that we love our city, our schools, parents and families. People are at the heart of the matter to us." Pastor Caldwell invited the students to performances at the church later this month, but not part of a field trip.
Liberty Counsel has stepped forward to offer free legal counsel and, if needed, legal defense to the Little Rock Superintendent of Schools and Agape Church to defend the right of students to attend the “Merry Christmas Charlie Brown” play at the church.
As Liberty states on its website, "The advent of the Christmas season predictably sees atheists making outrageous assertions regarding the proper role of schools and the recognition of Christmas. The United States Supreme Court has held that the Constitution requires accommodation, not merely tolerance, of all religions and forbids hostility toward any religion. In the Christmas context, the Court upheld the constitutionality of a publicly sponsored Christmas display."
This is yet another instance in which a celebration consistent with the nature and background of the Christmas holiday, a Federally-recognized holiday has been challenged by those who want to prohibit the free exercise of religion embraced by a large majority of Americans.
2 - Number of Bible translations increasing around the world, according to Wycliffe
Wycliffe Bible Translators has set an ambitious goal of translating the Bible into every language by the year 2025, and this week, the organization released a progress report indicating that they are on track to reach that goal, as the number of Bible translations continues to be on the rise.
A report on The Christian Post website indicates that Wycliffe, along with affiliated organizations like The Seed Company and SIL International, has managed to translate the Bible into 2,075 different languages around the world. That still leaves another 1,967 others to be translated, but the vast majority of the human population now has access to the Scriptures in their own languages.
"These statistics are very important in showing progress toward our goal of seeing a Bible translation in progress in every language community needing it by 2025," said Bob Creson, president of Wycliffe USA, in a statement shared with The Christian Post. "They demonstrate...that what we are doing is making a difference in the pursuit of our God-given mission."
For the first time ever, the number of languages with a Bible translation outnumber those without. This accounts for an estimated 5.4 billion around the world, while the remaining 1,967 languages, many of them dialects with minor variations from larger groups, are spoken by an estimated 209 million people.
New technologies and strategies have been critical in bringing God's Word to various communities. Wycliffe and its partners are major players in reaching out to help facilitate the gospel being shared in every nation in every language.
1 - U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear cases on the definition of marriage
Currently, there are Federal appeals court decisions that have invalidated a state Constitutional amendment approved by the people of California and a Congressional act that affirmed traditional marriage - defined as one man for one woman. And, the U.S. Supreme Court has stepped in and agreed to hear the appeals of lower court decisions.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had sided with those who had filed suit to overturn Proposition 8, approved by the voters of California, defining marriage as one-man, one-woman in the state's constitution. There have also been a number of challenges to the Federal Defense of Marriage Act, and the high court will be evaluating one particular case - Windsor v. United States, involving a New York woman who was obligated to pay more than $363,000 in taxes on the property her late partner left her in 2007 because their Canadian marriage, while recognized by the State of New York where they lived, is not recognized under DOMA. CitizenLink has the story on Friday's high court, high-stakes activity.
The two cases accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court will be argued sometime in March or April, with a decision expected by late June.
John Eastman, Chairman of the National Organization for Marriage, stated: "We believe that it is significant that the Supreme Court has taken the Prop 8 case...We believe it is a strong signal that the Court will reverse the lower courts and uphold Proposition 8. That is the right outcome based on the law and based on the principle that voters hold the ultimate power over basic policy judgments and their decisions are entitled to respect."
The defense of DOMA has fallen to the U.S. House of Representatives after the Obama Administration said that it did not support the Defense of Marriage Act.
3 - Charlie Brown Christmas play cancelled after controversy
It seemed like a harmless holiday season field trip - a group of elementary school students in Little Rock, Arkansas, going to see a play called, "Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown". Even though it was not mandatory, a parent reportedly was upset with the school for taking students to a local church, Agape Church. The mother than contacted the Arkansas Society of Freethinkers (ASF), and the organization complained to the Little Rock School District on her behalf.
According to the Christian Post, the principal of Terry Elementary School, Sandra Register decided not to cancel the field trip, and school board attorneys had determined that the trip was acceptable. However, the church announced this week that the special presentation for school students has been cancelled.
Happy Caldwell, pastor of Agape Church, issued a statement on the church's website on Wednesday, stating that while he believes the school was within its constitutional rights to bring students to the production, the church has nevertheless decided to cancel it special showing for students.
"It is not our desire to put hard working, sacrificial teachers and cast members in harm's way," wrote Caldwell. "What we want said is that we love our city, our schools, parents and families. People are at the heart of the matter to us." Pastor Caldwell invited the students to performances at the church later this month, but not part of a field trip.
Liberty Counsel has stepped forward to offer free legal counsel and, if needed, legal defense to the Little Rock Superintendent of Schools and Agape Church to defend the right of students to attend the “Merry Christmas Charlie Brown” play at the church.
As Liberty states on its website, "The advent of the Christmas season predictably sees atheists making outrageous assertions regarding the proper role of schools and the recognition of Christmas. The United States Supreme Court has held that the Constitution requires accommodation, not merely tolerance, of all religions and forbids hostility toward any religion. In the Christmas context, the Court upheld the constitutionality of a publicly sponsored Christmas display."
This is yet another instance in which a celebration consistent with the nature and background of the Christmas holiday, a Federally-recognized holiday has been challenged by those who want to prohibit the free exercise of religion embraced by a large majority of Americans.
2 - Number of Bible translations increasing around the world, according to Wycliffe
Wycliffe Bible Translators has set an ambitious goal of translating the Bible into every language by the year 2025, and this week, the organization released a progress report indicating that they are on track to reach that goal, as the number of Bible translations continues to be on the rise.
A report on The Christian Post website indicates that Wycliffe, along with affiliated organizations like The Seed Company and SIL International, has managed to translate the Bible into 2,075 different languages around the world. That still leaves another 1,967 others to be translated, but the vast majority of the human population now has access to the Scriptures in their own languages.
"These statistics are very important in showing progress toward our goal of seeing a Bible translation in progress in every language community needing it by 2025," said Bob Creson, president of Wycliffe USA, in a statement shared with The Christian Post. "They demonstrate...that what we are doing is making a difference in the pursuit of our God-given mission."
For the first time ever, the number of languages with a Bible translation outnumber those without. This accounts for an estimated 5.4 billion around the world, while the remaining 1,967 languages, many of them dialects with minor variations from larger groups, are spoken by an estimated 209 million people.
New technologies and strategies have been critical in bringing God's Word to various communities. Wycliffe and its partners are major players in reaching out to help facilitate the gospel being shared in every nation in every language.
1 - U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear cases on the definition of marriage
Currently, there are Federal appeals court decisions that have invalidated a state Constitutional amendment approved by the people of California and a Congressional act that affirmed traditional marriage - defined as one man for one woman. And, the U.S. Supreme Court has stepped in and agreed to hear the appeals of lower court decisions.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had sided with those who had filed suit to overturn Proposition 8, approved by the voters of California, defining marriage as one-man, one-woman in the state's constitution. There have also been a number of challenges to the Federal Defense of Marriage Act, and the high court will be evaluating one particular case - Windsor v. United States, involving a New York woman who was obligated to pay more than $363,000 in taxes on the property her late partner left her in 2007 because their Canadian marriage, while recognized by the State of New York where they lived, is not recognized under DOMA. CitizenLink has the story on Friday's high court, high-stakes activity.
The two cases accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court will be argued sometime in March or April, with a decision expected by late June.
John Eastman, Chairman of the National Organization for Marriage, stated: "We believe that it is significant that the Supreme Court has taken the Prop 8 case...We believe it is a strong signal that the Court will reverse the lower courts and uphold Proposition 8. That is the right outcome based on the law and based on the principle that voters hold the ultimate power over basic policy judgments and their decisions are entitled to respect."
The defense of DOMA has fallen to the U.S. House of Representatives after the Obama Administration said that it did not support the Defense of Marriage Act.
Sunday, December 02, 2012
The 3 - December 2, 2012
This week's edition of "The 3" includes a story that has emerged from a college campus in the Carolinas, where trees known as Christmas trees were on sale, then they were renamed, and renamed again - back to the original. Also, more instances of court rulings involving the Obama Administration's contraception mandate. Finally, the response is strong regarding new statistics on a significant decline in the abortion rate.
3 - NC College reverses Christmas tree sale ban, so-called "war on Christmas" returns
I'll be right up front - I don't like the term, "War on Christmas" - I don't think that the celebration of our Savior's birth constitutes any sort of war, and if there was a war, it was settled through the cross. The war is over, and Jesus Christ is Lord.
But, I've had a hard time coming up with another term to describe this give-and-take that comes about this time of year involving the expression of Christmas. So, when we refer to this "war", if refers to two fronts: the retail side of things, which involves how stores and companies refer to this holiday season in their advertising - some, who desire to somehow be politically correct and risk offending the sizable portion of the population claiming to be Christians, will use terms other than Christmas to position the season that wouldn't even be taking place if it weren't for the celebration of Christ's birth - I believe that would be "Christmas".
And, the other front includes public, or governmental institutions, who have over-responded to fears that by acknowledging Christmas, that they are somehow violating the law of the land, the Constitution of the United States. One of the initial volleys on this front this season involves a college in North Carolina, according to WorldOnCampus.com:
2 - 2 courts rule against plaintiffs in lawsuits on the contraception mandate
We're continuing to keep score regarding lawsuits involving the mandate from the Obama Administration under the new health care law, requiring employers, even religious organizations, to provide free contraception and abortion-inducing drugs in their health care plans. Religious entities had received a temporary reprieve from having to comply, but a number are continuing to object. Other companies, who object on religious grounds, will have to pay fines beginning on January 1, 2013 - less than a month away.
One of those companies, Hobby Lobby, lost their bid in court for a temporary halt to the mandate going into effect for them last week. Tyndale House Publishers received short-term relief until their case can go to trial. Hobby Lobby was not deemed "religious" enough, apparently, while Tyndale, in another court, won a temporary order from having to pay the fines.
And, 2 religious organizations who had filed suit had court decisions last week go against them. According to CitizenLink, this week, U.S. District Judge Terrence F. McVerry said in an opinion that the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh has not yet suffered harm from the mandate, since most of the mandate’s regulations do not take effect until Jan. 1, 2014. Also on Tuesday, a Tennessee district court dismissed the Catholic Diocese of Nashville’s lawsuit challenging the HHS mandate for similar reasons, ruling that the diocese has not yet suffered any injuries related the mandate.
Also, in a case regarding the health care law as a whole, this past Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court granted a petition for rehearing filed by Liberty Counsel in the ObamaCare case of Liberty University v. Geithner. Liberty Counsel filed the petition for rehearing on behalf of Liberty University and two private individuals. The Court directed that the case be reheard at the federal court of appeals in Richmond. This may pave the way for the case to return to the High Court in 2013. At issue is the constitutionality of the employer mandate and also whether ObamaCare’s forced funding of abortion is unconstitutional under the First Amendment Free Exercise of Religion Clause and the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA).
The entire health care law was opposed by Christian groups because of its provision for taxpayer funding of abortion, as well as other concerns, including possible rationing of care that would endanger the lives of vulnerable individuals, including the elderly and the disabled. The HHS contraception mandate is yet another provision of the new law that has been found to be objectionable on religious grounds, and dozens of lawsuits continue to move forward. Some plaintiffs have received temporary relief, others have not, but a number of these cases will be going to court, where these religious entities and companies founded on religious principles will get the opportunity to give the reasoning for their opposition.
1 - CDC reports decline in abortion rate for 2009, credit to pro-life activity
Some good news that I believe can be attributable to the effectiveness of the pro-life movement has recently been released. It actually came out just before Thanksgiving, but there has been extensive response by the Chrisitan, pro-life community over the past few days. According to LifeNews.com, abortion fell 5 percent nationwide in 2009, according to new information from the Centers for Disease Control, which tracks abortion figures nationwide. Now, one child losing his or her life from the womb is too many, but there is reason to be encouraged.
Since 1969, CDC has conducted abortion surveillance to document the number and characteristics of women obtaining legal induced abortions in the United States. However, because the data doesn’t include numbers from all 50 states, most pro-life groups consider the data incomplete.
LifeNews.com says that "the numbers are a good reference for understanding trends and the trend is that abortions are on the decline thanks to pro-life laws, the work of pregnancy centers and shutting down abortion clinics and practitioners who run afoul of the law."
Also, the CDC confirms abortions continue to hurt women, noting that “In 2008, the most recent year for which data were available, 12 women were reported to have died as a result of complications from known legal induced abortions.”
And, while some n the mainstream media attribute the decline to various forms of contraception, I believe the pro-life narrative is much stronger - poll after poll are showing opposition to abortion, incremental pro-life laws are restricting access to the termination of pregnancies, pregnancy resource centers are effectively sharing the redeeming message of God's grace, combined with ultrasound technology that shows the development of the pre-born child. Plus, the number of abortion clinics has dramatically declined in America over the past 2 decades. And, as I believe you'll see next month, with the 40th Anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, there is an unprecedented passion, especially among young people, millennials who are cause-driven and have been turning out to advocate for life. We have much about which to be encouraged as we continue to stand on God's view on the sanctity of human life.
3 - NC College reverses Christmas tree sale ban, so-called "war on Christmas" returns
I'll be right up front - I don't like the term, "War on Christmas" - I don't think that the celebration of our Savior's birth constitutes any sort of war, and if there was a war, it was settled through the cross. The war is over, and Jesus Christ is Lord.
But, I've had a hard time coming up with another term to describe this give-and-take that comes about this time of year involving the expression of Christmas. So, when we refer to this "war", if refers to two fronts: the retail side of things, which involves how stores and companies refer to this holiday season in their advertising - some, who desire to somehow be politically correct and risk offending the sizable portion of the population claiming to be Christians, will use terms other than Christmas to position the season that wouldn't even be taking place if it weren't for the celebration of Christ's birth - I believe that would be "Christmas".
And, the other front includes public, or governmental institutions, who have over-responded to fears that by acknowledging Christmas, that they are somehow violating the law of the land, the Constitution of the United States. One of the initial volleys on this front this season involves a college in North Carolina, according to WorldOnCampus.com:
Administrators at Western Piedmont Community College had told members of
a club called the BEST Society in November they could not use the word "Christmas"
in their announcement about a Christmas tree sale, the proceeds of which will be
used to support Angel Tree, which provides Christmas gifts for children who have an incarcerated parent.
On Tuesday, lawyers with legal coalition Alliance Defending Freedom
(ADF) sent a letter to the school, warning administrators they had
violated the students' First Amendment rights by censoring the content
of their message. On Wednesday morning, the school re-posted a press
release announcing the sale on its website, with a headline that reads
"WPCC Club Sells Christmas Trees!!"
"It's ridiculous that anyone would have to think twice about using the
word 'Christmas' as part of a Christmas tree sale," said Matt Sharp,
one of the ADF lawyers representing the group. "Not only is it perfectly
constitutional to use the word 'Christmas,' it is unconstitutional to
prohibit use of it. This is another perfect example of the immense
misunderstanding that far too many college officials have about what the
First Amendment truly requires."
So, the Christmas tree sale will go on as planned at WPCC, but this is just one of what I will imagine will be a host of skirmishes across America concerning the expression of the celebration this time of year as actually Christmas. But, this is indicative of the misunderstanding that is prevalent concerning our Judeo-Christian religious traditions that are part of the fiber of American life.
2 - 2 courts rule against plaintiffs in lawsuits on the contraception mandate
We're continuing to keep score regarding lawsuits involving the mandate from the Obama Administration under the new health care law, requiring employers, even religious organizations, to provide free contraception and abortion-inducing drugs in their health care plans. Religious entities had received a temporary reprieve from having to comply, but a number are continuing to object. Other companies, who object on religious grounds, will have to pay fines beginning on January 1, 2013 - less than a month away.
One of those companies, Hobby Lobby, lost their bid in court for a temporary halt to the mandate going into effect for them last week. Tyndale House Publishers received short-term relief until their case can go to trial. Hobby Lobby was not deemed "religious" enough, apparently, while Tyndale, in another court, won a temporary order from having to pay the fines.
And, 2 religious organizations who had filed suit had court decisions last week go against them. According to CitizenLink, this week, U.S. District Judge Terrence F. McVerry said in an opinion that the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh has not yet suffered harm from the mandate, since most of the mandate’s regulations do not take effect until Jan. 1, 2014. Also on Tuesday, a Tennessee district court dismissed the Catholic Diocese of Nashville’s lawsuit challenging the HHS mandate for similar reasons, ruling that the diocese has not yet suffered any injuries related the mandate.
Also, in a case regarding the health care law as a whole, this past Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court granted a petition for rehearing filed by Liberty Counsel in the ObamaCare case of Liberty University v. Geithner. Liberty Counsel filed the petition for rehearing on behalf of Liberty University and two private individuals. The Court directed that the case be reheard at the federal court of appeals in Richmond. This may pave the way for the case to return to the High Court in 2013. At issue is the constitutionality of the employer mandate and also whether ObamaCare’s forced funding of abortion is unconstitutional under the First Amendment Free Exercise of Religion Clause and the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA).
The entire health care law was opposed by Christian groups because of its provision for taxpayer funding of abortion, as well as other concerns, including possible rationing of care that would endanger the lives of vulnerable individuals, including the elderly and the disabled. The HHS contraception mandate is yet another provision of the new law that has been found to be objectionable on religious grounds, and dozens of lawsuits continue to move forward. Some plaintiffs have received temporary relief, others have not, but a number of these cases will be going to court, where these religious entities and companies founded on religious principles will get the opportunity to give the reasoning for their opposition.
1 - CDC reports decline in abortion rate for 2009, credit to pro-life activity
Some good news that I believe can be attributable to the effectiveness of the pro-life movement has recently been released. It actually came out just before Thanksgiving, but there has been extensive response by the Chrisitan, pro-life community over the past few days. According to LifeNews.com, abortion fell 5 percent nationwide in 2009, according to new information from the Centers for Disease Control, which tracks abortion figures nationwide. Now, one child losing his or her life from the womb is too many, but there is reason to be encouraged.
Since 1969, CDC has conducted abortion surveillance to document the number and characteristics of women obtaining legal induced abortions in the United States. However, because the data doesn’t include numbers from all 50 states, most pro-life groups consider the data incomplete.
LifeNews.com says that "the numbers are a good reference for understanding trends and the trend is that abortions are on the decline thanks to pro-life laws, the work of pregnancy centers and shutting down abortion clinics and practitioners who run afoul of the law."
Also, the CDC confirms abortions continue to hurt women, noting that “In 2008, the most recent year for which data were available, 12 women were reported to have died as a result of complications from known legal induced abortions.”
And, while some n the mainstream media attribute the decline to various forms of contraception, I believe the pro-life narrative is much stronger - poll after poll are showing opposition to abortion, incremental pro-life laws are restricting access to the termination of pregnancies, pregnancy resource centers are effectively sharing the redeeming message of God's grace, combined with ultrasound technology that shows the development of the pre-born child. Plus, the number of abortion clinics has dramatically declined in America over the past 2 decades. And, as I believe you'll see next month, with the 40th Anniversary of Roe vs. Wade, there is an unprecedented passion, especially among young people, millennials who are cause-driven and have been turning out to advocate for life. We have much about which to be encouraged as we continue to stand on God's view on the sanctity of human life.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
The 3 - November 25, 2012
The Thanksgiving week edition of "The 3", my week-in-review feature, includes a court ruling on an almost 60-year tradition involving multiple Nativity scenes in Santa Monica, CA. Also, just before the start of the week, the National Bible Bee crowned champions in three divisions. And, the top story, the celebration of Thanksgiving, which provides Christians with opportunities to serve, as we thank the One who gave Himself for us.
3 - Court rules against Santa Monica Nativity scenes
A Christmas tradition in a California city has been drastically altered, to the extent that it no longer is a reverent or meaningful celebration of the birth of Christ. According to CitizenLink, the Santa Monica Nativity Scenes annual event dates back to 1953, in which booths with life-sized figures depicting the events surrounding the birth of Christ have been displayed in Palisades Park from the second Sunday in December through the end of the year.
Three years ago, a man named Damon Vix applied for and received permission for a booth in the park, according to Fox News. Vix hung a sign quoting Thomas Jefferson that read: “Religions are all alike — founded on fables and mythologies.” Another one of his signs read: “Happy Solstice.”
Last year, he encouraged others to apply for a booth in the Nativity Scenes event, resulting in 18 of the 21 booths being represented by a secular person or group, according to Fox News. One of the secular displays included a tribute to the “pastafarian religion,” which showcased an artistic depiction of “the great flying spaghetti monster,” a mockery of Christianity. There was a display of pictures of Poseidon, Jesus, Santa, and the devil, which read: “37 million Americans know myths when they see them. What myths do you see?" The remaining three booths were Christmas and Hanukkah displays.
On October 9th of this year, the Nativity Scene Committee (NSC), comprised of 13 Santa Monica churches and the Santa Monica Police Officers Association, filed a lawsuit in Federal court against the city, seeking to restore the nearly 60-year-old Nativity Scenes display in Palisades Park.
In a hearing this past Monday, the committee asked the court for a temporary reprieve from the ban while the case proceeds. The court ruled against the NSC, meaning there will be no Nativity Scene event until a final ruling is issued in the case.
“The city of Santa Monica decided that they didn’t want to have anything to do with it anymore — it was creating more work for their staff and they made up some additional excuses,” said William Becker, attorney for NSC.
The next step: a hearing on a motion by the city to dismiss the case.
No doubt, this Christmas season will give rise to more court action concerning the celebration of Christmas. Municipalities are confused regarding what constitutes acceptable religious expression, and some have taken measures to eliminate Nativity scenes and other Christian expressions of our Savior's birth. Some have even removed references to Christmas in deference to a non-specified holiday. But, in a nation founded on Judeo-Christian principles, it is somewhat odd that Christians are being restricted from expressing the age-old traditions of Christmas.
2 - National Bible Bee winners celebrate achievement
I am taking just a bit of latitude on the timing of this story, which involves young people across America participating in a competition based on their knowledge of the Bible. The announcement of the winner of the National Bible Bee occurred on Saturday, November 17th in Sevierville, Tennessee. According to a report in The Christian Post, the top three Senior division students in the National Bible Bee finals took turns quoting passages of Scripture from memory for over an hour without making a single error, causing the contest – and the winner of the $100,000 grand prize – to be determined by a tiebreaker.
Officials of the fourth annual event, turned to the students' preliminary challenge scores, including their written tests, to determine the winner after a deadlock in the final round. Sophie Haire of Havre de Grace, MD was eventually declared to be the winner in the division, which includes 15- to 18-year olds.
Around 7,000 young people nationwide participated in the Bible Bee program in 2012 – a 20 percent increase from last year. Tom Widdoes, vice president of operations for the Shelby Kennedy Foundation, the organization behind the Bible Bee, expects participation numbers to continue to climb, he says, due in part to the competition's new format.
In years past, Bible Bee organizers provided students with hundreds of memory verses at the beginning of the summer. The contest was meant to be a family discipleship program, but it became intellectually intimidating.
This year, organizers cut back on the amount of information students were required to study in preparation for local competitions. With the help of special guidebooks, parents can now effectively lead their children in their Bible Bee studies in about 20 minutes per day.
Those who qualify for nationals, however, are eventually faced with much greater intellectual challenges, including the memorization of several hundred verses of Scripture.
1 - Christians give thanks, give of themselves on Thanksgiving Day 2012
This past Thursday was Thanksgiving Day, and while many regard it as a day to be thankful for our families, maybe our nation, or on the more insignificant side, football, or even shopping, we as Christians recognize it is a day set aside to give thanks to God, the One Whose hand was involved, I believe, in the establishment of our nation, the furtherance of the freedoms that we enjoy, including freedom to practice our faith, and Who daily calls us to walk in a relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ.
And, as we fall deeper in love with Him, He provides opportunities for us to share that love. Thanksgiving Day has become a time, part of a season, when we can display the love of God in our hearts to people in need. The churches of the greater New York City area, as well as national ministries, are still on the job in reaching out to those victimized by Superstorm Sandy. And, ministries across our area and our nation have been involved in reaching out.
The Christian Post featured a number of those ministries in a recent story. For instance, twice during the week before Thanksgiving Day, a church in Los Angeles, One Church International, held an outreach to the people of Skid Row that includes providing food, clothing, and prayer at a comedy club in a North Hollywood location.
At Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC, Pastor Steven Furtick's wife, Holly, met with 40 women on Monday to pack 200 grocery bags with meals for families in need near the church's Matthews location. The meals went to serve 561 people in the community by way of outreach partner Matthews Help Center. That was just one of many outreaches to serve a combined over 1,000 people in the Charlotte area.
On Thanksgiving Day, in addition to several other projects, more than 200 volunteers led by a motel (families in transition) ministry from Saddleback Church in California were planning to serve 700 meals at nine locations throughout Orange County.
More than 1,500 shopping bags were filled with items from a Thanksgiving "grocery list" by members of Longhollow Baptist Church in the Nashville area. The bags were reportedly filled with holiday dinner ingredients and cash for turkeys.
3 - Court rules against Santa Monica Nativity scenes
A Christmas tradition in a California city has been drastically altered, to the extent that it no longer is a reverent or meaningful celebration of the birth of Christ. According to CitizenLink, the Santa Monica Nativity Scenes annual event dates back to 1953, in which booths with life-sized figures depicting the events surrounding the birth of Christ have been displayed in Palisades Park from the second Sunday in December through the end of the year.
Three years ago, a man named Damon Vix applied for and received permission for a booth in the park, according to Fox News. Vix hung a sign quoting Thomas Jefferson that read: “Religions are all alike — founded on fables and mythologies.” Another one of his signs read: “Happy Solstice.”
Last year, he encouraged others to apply for a booth in the Nativity Scenes event, resulting in 18 of the 21 booths being represented by a secular person or group, according to Fox News. One of the secular displays included a tribute to the “pastafarian religion,” which showcased an artistic depiction of “the great flying spaghetti monster,” a mockery of Christianity. There was a display of pictures of Poseidon, Jesus, Santa, and the devil, which read: “37 million Americans know myths when they see them. What myths do you see?" The remaining three booths were Christmas and Hanukkah displays.
On October 9th of this year, the Nativity Scene Committee (NSC), comprised of 13 Santa Monica churches and the Santa Monica Police Officers Association, filed a lawsuit in Federal court against the city, seeking to restore the nearly 60-year-old Nativity Scenes display in Palisades Park.
In a hearing this past Monday, the committee asked the court for a temporary reprieve from the ban while the case proceeds. The court ruled against the NSC, meaning there will be no Nativity Scene event until a final ruling is issued in the case.
“The city of Santa Monica decided that they didn’t want to have anything to do with it anymore — it was creating more work for their staff and they made up some additional excuses,” said William Becker, attorney for NSC.
The next step: a hearing on a motion by the city to dismiss the case.
No doubt, this Christmas season will give rise to more court action concerning the celebration of Christmas. Municipalities are confused regarding what constitutes acceptable religious expression, and some have taken measures to eliminate Nativity scenes and other Christian expressions of our Savior's birth. Some have even removed references to Christmas in deference to a non-specified holiday. But, in a nation founded on Judeo-Christian principles, it is somewhat odd that Christians are being restricted from expressing the age-old traditions of Christmas.
2 - National Bible Bee winners celebrate achievement
I am taking just a bit of latitude on the timing of this story, which involves young people across America participating in a competition based on their knowledge of the Bible. The announcement of the winner of the National Bible Bee occurred on Saturday, November 17th in Sevierville, Tennessee. According to a report in The Christian Post, the top three Senior division students in the National Bible Bee finals took turns quoting passages of Scripture from memory for over an hour without making a single error, causing the contest – and the winner of the $100,000 grand prize – to be determined by a tiebreaker.
Officials of the fourth annual event, turned to the students' preliminary challenge scores, including their written tests, to determine the winner after a deadlock in the final round. Sophie Haire of Havre de Grace, MD was eventually declared to be the winner in the division, which includes 15- to 18-year olds.
Around 7,000 young people nationwide participated in the Bible Bee program in 2012 – a 20 percent increase from last year. Tom Widdoes, vice president of operations for the Shelby Kennedy Foundation, the organization behind the Bible Bee, expects participation numbers to continue to climb, he says, due in part to the competition's new format.
In years past, Bible Bee organizers provided students with hundreds of memory verses at the beginning of the summer. The contest was meant to be a family discipleship program, but it became intellectually intimidating.
This year, organizers cut back on the amount of information students were required to study in preparation for local competitions. With the help of special guidebooks, parents can now effectively lead their children in their Bible Bee studies in about 20 minutes per day.
Those who qualify for nationals, however, are eventually faced with much greater intellectual challenges, including the memorization of several hundred verses of Scripture.
1 - Christians give thanks, give of themselves on Thanksgiving Day 2012
This past Thursday was Thanksgiving Day, and while many regard it as a day to be thankful for our families, maybe our nation, or on the more insignificant side, football, or even shopping, we as Christians recognize it is a day set aside to give thanks to God, the One Whose hand was involved, I believe, in the establishment of our nation, the furtherance of the freedoms that we enjoy, including freedom to practice our faith, and Who daily calls us to walk in a relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ.
And, as we fall deeper in love with Him, He provides opportunities for us to share that love. Thanksgiving Day has become a time, part of a season, when we can display the love of God in our hearts to people in need. The churches of the greater New York City area, as well as national ministries, are still on the job in reaching out to those victimized by Superstorm Sandy. And, ministries across our area and our nation have been involved in reaching out.
The Christian Post featured a number of those ministries in a recent story. For instance, twice during the week before Thanksgiving Day, a church in Los Angeles, One Church International, held an outreach to the people of Skid Row that includes providing food, clothing, and prayer at a comedy club in a North Hollywood location.
At Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC, Pastor Steven Furtick's wife, Holly, met with 40 women on Monday to pack 200 grocery bags with meals for families in need near the church's Matthews location. The meals went to serve 561 people in the community by way of outreach partner Matthews Help Center. That was just one of many outreaches to serve a combined over 1,000 people in the Charlotte area.
On Thanksgiving Day, in addition to several other projects, more than 200 volunteers led by a motel (families in transition) ministry from Saddleback Church in California were planning to serve 700 meals at nine locations throughout Orange County.
More than 1,500 shopping bags were filled with items from a Thanksgiving "grocery list" by members of Longhollow Baptist Church in the Nashville area. The bags were reportedly filled with holiday dinner ingredients and cash for turkeys.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
The 3 - November 18, 2012
This week, there is quite a variety of news stories affecting the Christian community, as I outline here in this week-in-review feature, "The 3". First up, another challenge to the contraception mandate from the Obama Administration, and a court victory for a major Christian publisher. Also, last Sunday, November 11th, was a significant day in order to honor and support 3 distinct groups of people - the persecuted church, orphans, and U.S. veterans. The top story involves the nation of Israel - under fire and at war...it's a series of events that is extremely relevant to principles in the Bible and to Christians and Christian organizations who stand with Israel.
3 - Bible publisher receives relief from court on contraceptive mandate
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' contraception mandate continues to make headlines, and this past week, a well-known Bible publisher that had filed suit concerning it received some relief in court. Tyndale House Publishers joined the ranks of companies and Christian institutions filing suit against the mandate, and those ranks have swelled to some 40 lawsuits involving 110 plaintiffs. Those who are challenging this mandate as part of the national health care law contend that being forced to provide free contraception and abortion-inducing drugs to their employees via their health care plans violates their religious freedom rights. And, in the Tyndale case, a Federal district judge seems to agree.
According to a report on the Christian Post website, U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton granted a preliminary injunction to stop enforcement of the mandate against Tyndale. The judge wrote,
"Although there is arguably a public interest in the uniform application of the ACA (Affordable Care Act) and the contraceptive coverage mandate there is undoubtedly also a public interest in ensuring that the rights secured under the First Amendment and, by extension, the RFRA (Religious Freedom Restoration Act), are protected...Indeed, First Amendment rights are among the most precious rights guaranteed under the Constitution."
2 - Churches remember orphans, persecuted church, veterans
Sunday, November 11th was a day that was set aside to remember three groups of people who are significant, representing some ministry needs that the body of Christ, especially the church in America, can address.
The second Sunday of November is traditionally the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, and but some churches and organizations observed it on the 4th. Open Doors and Voice of the Martyrs are two of the key organizations who reach out to persecuted believers around the world, and they observed the 11th, while the actually International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church website, www.idop.org, named the date as the 4th, but said the people were free to choose.
Regardless of the day, the cause is dire - believers are facing persecution at the hands of hostile governments around the world. Through its website, www.onewiththem.com, Open Doors is offering prayer wristbands in order to help remind people to pray for persecuted Christians.
The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention reports these persecution facts:
Also, last Sunday was commemorated by a number of churches as Orphan Sunday, as we are reminded that James 1 instructs us to care for widows and orphans. Now, the Christian Alliance for Orphans had designated November 4th, but you can find a number of instances of churches celebrating that day on the 11th. The Christian Alliance for Orphans is seeking to add a unified voice and coordinated effort to the many worthy efforts that preceded this year.
Here's a little background on Orphan Sunday: While attending a church service in Zambia, an American visitor, Gary Schneider, was struck by the pastor’s passionate call to care for orphans in the local community, which had been ravaged by AIDS and poverty. Members of the church faced deep need themselves. But as the service ended, one after another stepped forward with money, food and other goods-some even taking off their own shoes and placing them in the offering for orphans. Gary began to help Zambian leaders coordinate Orphan Sunday efforts in that nation, and efforts spread to the U.S. in 2003.
Churches are using this occasion to mobilize their members in reaching out to children in need, through prayer for those without parents around the world, through encouraging Christians to provide foster care or support for foster families, and actually adopting children from countries around the world, including here in America. In following the Biblical call to care for orphans, there is a growing trend in churches to promote these and related opportunities.
I think it's interesting that there may have been some disparity about the dates these occasion were commemorated - because, it is true that it's more about the cause than the date. And, these are areas of need that transcend a particular day.
Finally, November 11th is always Veterans Day, a time to recognize the sacrifices that brave men and women have made and continue to make to preserve our freedom and promote the cause of freedom around the world. This day can serve to remind us about the contributions of our military, our veterans, and our Guard and Reserve units, as well. We can also reach out to families to have faced deployment, and help to minister to those who are left behind. Our military friends understand, in a unique way, the concept of service, and we appreciate the way that they serve not only in their military duties, but in their communities, as well.
For instance, I am reminded of the way that Christians in the Maxwell Air Force Base community partner with a variety of ministry and other charitable organizations to do good in the name of Christ, and how military and other Federal employees support charities, including Faith Radio, with their dollars given through the Combined Federal Campaign. We greatly appreciate how they partner with our area! By the way, the Heart of Alabama CFC is winding down, and state employees can still participate through the end of the year through the Alabama State Combined Campaign.
1 - Christian leaders and organizations stand with Israel in light of attacks
The violence in Israel is something that is quite relevant to Christians, for several reasons. The Bible tells us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and we recognize the spiritual significance of the land and people of Israel, God's original chosen people. Even today, there are Christians and Christian organizations who are encouraging us to stand with Israel. Here are some of the developments reported by author and Bible prophecy speaker Joel Rosenberg, founder of the Joshua Fund, who has been in Israel.
* All signs point to Israel preparing a massive ground invasion of Israel (sic). Massive numbers of Israeli Merkava (chariot) tanks, armored personnel carriers, and combat engineering equipment is being moved hour by hour to the Gaza border. When several colleagues and I were driving north to Galilee today, we passed mile after mile of Israeli military vehicles heading south towards Gaza from their bases along the Lebanon and Syrian borders. Some 75,000 Israeli reserve soldiers are being mobilized as we speak. What’s more, Israeli officials are telling the nation to prepare for at least 7 weeks of fighting...
* That said, Israel is awash with rumors tonight of an imminent truce (“hudna” in Arabic) – some media reports are speculating a cease fire could begin soon.
* There is also much speculation that the Egyptian leadership is pressing Hamas hard to stop firing at Israel. The Egyptian Prime Minister Hisham Kandil visited Gaza on Friday to meet with Hamas leaders. During a press conference Saturday with Turkish leader Erdogan, Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi said “there are some indications a cease fire could be soon.”
* Israel, however, says it is “not interested” in a cease fire — has many more terror targets still to hit and destroy. (Times of Israel)
* Meanwhile, Hamas and other terrorists in Gaza have not stopped firing missiles and rockets at Israel — about 100 rockets were fired at Israel on Saturday.
Hundreds of rockets have been fired at Israel from Gaza this week, and the missile defense system, the Iron Dome, has intercepted a significant number of them. Israel has responded by carrying out hundreds of air strikes this week.
Christian organizations are declaring their support for Israel. Christians United for Israel is providing regular briefings on the situation in Israel through its website at makeadifference.cufi.org. Also, an organization that has involved a number of evangelical leaders, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, founded by a Jewish rabbi to facilitate cooperation between those two religious groups, is offering daily updates, and has responded with a $2.7 million aid package.
Not only are Christians speaking out on Israel and its right to defend itself, but we also must recognize the prophetic significance of these events. For instance, when you read Ezekiel 38, you see that in the last days there will be an alignment of nations that will stand in opposition to Israel - it will be invaded, and God Himself will turn back the invasion. After that occurrence, Israel will turn to the Antichrist for protection - ultimately, the Antichrist will occupy a rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem.
This incursion demonstrates the hostility that seems to be mounting against Israel - Hamas, which is the authority in the Gaza Strip, is supported by some powerful allies, such as Iran and Egypt. Some of the rockets that have been launched into the suburbs of Tel Aviv were manufactured by Iran. This is an explosive situation, and it calls for prayers and vigilance. Many Christians are hopeful that the United States will provide the necessary support for Israel in the face of violent opposition.
3 - Bible publisher receives relief from court on contraceptive mandate
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' contraception mandate continues to make headlines, and this past week, a well-known Bible publisher that had filed suit concerning it received some relief in court. Tyndale House Publishers joined the ranks of companies and Christian institutions filing suit against the mandate, and those ranks have swelled to some 40 lawsuits involving 110 plaintiffs. Those who are challenging this mandate as part of the national health care law contend that being forced to provide free contraception and abortion-inducing drugs to their employees via their health care plans violates their religious freedom rights. And, in the Tyndale case, a Federal district judge seems to agree.
According to a report on the Christian Post website, U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton granted a preliminary injunction to stop enforcement of the mandate against Tyndale. The judge wrote,
"Although there is arguably a public interest in the uniform application of the ACA (Affordable Care Act) and the contraceptive coverage mandate there is undoubtedly also a public interest in ensuring that the rights secured under the First Amendment and, by extension, the RFRA (Religious Freedom Restoration Act), are protected...Indeed, First Amendment rights are among the most precious rights guaranteed under the Constitution."
2 - Churches remember orphans, persecuted church, veterans
Sunday, November 11th was a day that was set aside to remember three groups of people who are significant, representing some ministry needs that the body of Christ, especially the church in America, can address.
The second Sunday of November is traditionally the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, and but some churches and organizations observed it on the 4th. Open Doors and Voice of the Martyrs are two of the key organizations who reach out to persecuted believers around the world, and they observed the 11th, while the actually International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church website, www.idop.org, named the date as the 4th, but said the people were free to choose.
Regardless of the day, the cause is dire - believers are facing persecution at the hands of hostile governments around the world. Through its website, www.onewiththem.com, Open Doors is offering prayer wristbands in order to help remind people to pray for persecuted Christians.
The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention reports these persecution facts:
- More than 43 million Christians have been killed for their faith since the crucifixion of Jesus.
- It’s been estimated that more Christians were martyred in the 20th Century than in all the prior 1,900 years combined.
- There were more than 26 million documented cases of martyrdom in the 20th Century alone.
- More than 200 million Christians in over 60 nations face persecution each day, 60% of these are children.
- 150,000 to 165,000 are martyred each year.
Also, last Sunday was commemorated by a number of churches as Orphan Sunday, as we are reminded that James 1 instructs us to care for widows and orphans. Now, the Christian Alliance for Orphans had designated November 4th, but you can find a number of instances of churches celebrating that day on the 11th. The Christian Alliance for Orphans is seeking to add a unified voice and coordinated effort to the many worthy efforts that preceded this year.
Here's a little background on Orphan Sunday: While attending a church service in Zambia, an American visitor, Gary Schneider, was struck by the pastor’s passionate call to care for orphans in the local community, which had been ravaged by AIDS and poverty. Members of the church faced deep need themselves. But as the service ended, one after another stepped forward with money, food and other goods-some even taking off their own shoes and placing them in the offering for orphans. Gary began to help Zambian leaders coordinate Orphan Sunday efforts in that nation, and efforts spread to the U.S. in 2003.
Churches are using this occasion to mobilize their members in reaching out to children in need, through prayer for those without parents around the world, through encouraging Christians to provide foster care or support for foster families, and actually adopting children from countries around the world, including here in America. In following the Biblical call to care for orphans, there is a growing trend in churches to promote these and related opportunities.
I think it's interesting that there may have been some disparity about the dates these occasion were commemorated - because, it is true that it's more about the cause than the date. And, these are areas of need that transcend a particular day.
Finally, November 11th is always Veterans Day, a time to recognize the sacrifices that brave men and women have made and continue to make to preserve our freedom and promote the cause of freedom around the world. This day can serve to remind us about the contributions of our military, our veterans, and our Guard and Reserve units, as well. We can also reach out to families to have faced deployment, and help to minister to those who are left behind. Our military friends understand, in a unique way, the concept of service, and we appreciate the way that they serve not only in their military duties, but in their communities, as well.
For instance, I am reminded of the way that Christians in the Maxwell Air Force Base community partner with a variety of ministry and other charitable organizations to do good in the name of Christ, and how military and other Federal employees support charities, including Faith Radio, with their dollars given through the Combined Federal Campaign. We greatly appreciate how they partner with our area! By the way, the Heart of Alabama CFC is winding down, and state employees can still participate through the end of the year through the Alabama State Combined Campaign.
1 - Christian leaders and organizations stand with Israel in light of attacks
The violence in Israel is something that is quite relevant to Christians, for several reasons. The Bible tells us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and we recognize the spiritual significance of the land and people of Israel, God's original chosen people. Even today, there are Christians and Christian organizations who are encouraging us to stand with Israel. Here are some of the developments reported by author and Bible prophecy speaker Joel Rosenberg, founder of the Joshua Fund, who has been in Israel.
* All signs point to Israel preparing a massive ground invasion of Israel (sic). Massive numbers of Israeli Merkava (chariot) tanks, armored personnel carriers, and combat engineering equipment is being moved hour by hour to the Gaza border. When several colleagues and I were driving north to Galilee today, we passed mile after mile of Israeli military vehicles heading south towards Gaza from their bases along the Lebanon and Syrian borders. Some 75,000 Israeli reserve soldiers are being mobilized as we speak. What’s more, Israeli officials are telling the nation to prepare for at least 7 weeks of fighting...
* That said, Israel is awash with rumors tonight of an imminent truce (“hudna” in Arabic) – some media reports are speculating a cease fire could begin soon.
* There is also much speculation that the Egyptian leadership is pressing Hamas hard to stop firing at Israel. The Egyptian Prime Minister Hisham Kandil visited Gaza on Friday to meet with Hamas leaders. During a press conference Saturday with Turkish leader Erdogan, Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi said “there are some indications a cease fire could be soon.”
* Israel, however, says it is “not interested” in a cease fire — has many more terror targets still to hit and destroy. (Times of Israel)
* Meanwhile, Hamas and other terrorists in Gaza have not stopped firing missiles and rockets at Israel — about 100 rockets were fired at Israel on Saturday.
Hundreds of rockets have been fired at Israel from Gaza this week, and the missile defense system, the Iron Dome, has intercepted a significant number of them. Israel has responded by carrying out hundreds of air strikes this week.
Christian organizations are declaring their support for Israel. Christians United for Israel is providing regular briefings on the situation in Israel through its website at makeadifference.cufi.org. Also, an organization that has involved a number of evangelical leaders, the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, founded by a Jewish rabbi to facilitate cooperation between those two religious groups, is offering daily updates, and has responded with a $2.7 million aid package.
Not only are Christians speaking out on Israel and its right to defend itself, but we also must recognize the prophetic significance of these events. For instance, when you read Ezekiel 38, you see that in the last days there will be an alignment of nations that will stand in opposition to Israel - it will be invaded, and God Himself will turn back the invasion. After that occurrence, Israel will turn to the Antichrist for protection - ultimately, the Antichrist will occupy a rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem.
This incursion demonstrates the hostility that seems to be mounting against Israel - Hamas, which is the authority in the Gaza Strip, is supported by some powerful allies, such as Iran and Egypt. Some of the rockets that have been launched into the suburbs of Tel Aviv were manufactured by Iran. This is an explosive situation, and it calls for prayers and vigilance. Many Christians are hopeful that the United States will provide the necessary support for Israel in the face of violent opposition.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
The 3 - November 11, 2012
Election results permeate this edition of my week-in-review feature, "The 3". In the number 3 slot, there is new leadership in 2 church bodies - one smaller one, and a rather large one, but both significant in our world today. The top 2 positions involve Election Day: the traditional marriage position losing at the ballot box in 4 states, and the size of and choice by the evangelical vote.
3 - New leadership for Coptic Christians, Anglican church
This week, there were 2 high-profile appointments to leadership positions over church bodies in the world. The much-maligned Coptic Christian church, meaning the church in Egypt, appointed a new leader, a pope, this week. Pope Tawadros II was appointed last Sunday to replace Pope Shenouda III, who died in March after leading Egypt's Orthodox Christians for four decades. And, the new leader is speaking out in favor of an inclusive constitution for the country, in light of fears that the Muslim Brotherhood would institute sharia, or Islamic, Law.
He is quoted by The Christian Post, citing a Reuters story, as saying that, "The beauty of Egyptian society is the presence of Muslims beside Christians. Diversity is strong and beautiful." He went on to say that, "If a good constitution is presented in which every person finds himself [represented], there is no doubt Egypt will develop...But if the constitution addresses one part of the community and ignores another it will take society backwards."
The Copts are thought to have between 5 and 20 million adherents. We remember this group of believers, as well as other persecuted Christians on this, the International day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.
Also, in Great Britain, it was announced that a new Archbishop of Canterbury has been named, the culmination of a long selection process that eventually resulted in a committee making a recommendation, and the Queen of England giving final approval. The Archbishop is the head of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Bishop of Durham Justin Welby, who is believed to be strongly in the evangelical wing of the communion, including being opposed to same-sex marriage, has a background in business, in the oil industry.
Regarding same-sex marriage, he said, "We must have no truck with any form of homophobia
in any part of the church," adding that he planned to "listen
to the voice of the LGBT communities and examine my own thinking." He supports allowing women to serve as bishops, an issue that is scheduled to be voted on later this month by the Church's governing General Synod.
Welby, who replaces the retiring Rowan Williams, will have his work cut out for him, as he attempts to lead a large group - an estimated 77 million members - with a diversity of views while maintaining his sense of conviction on delicate issues that have adversely affected the church.
2 - Ballot measures on legalizing gay marriage pass in 3 states, traditional marriage amendment fails in 1
While the majority of political eyes were on the Presidential and Congressional races, there was quite a bit of attention on the 4 ballot measures concerning marriage, in 4 states that were won by President Obama, and have gained a reputation for being generally liberal.
In Washington and Maryland, traditional marriage supporters had gained enough signatures to get a referendum vote put on the ballot to rescind what the legislature of those 2 states had done in approving gay marriage, and Maine also had a vote on whether or not to legalize same-sex marriage. In Minnesota, where gay marriage is currently illegal, voters were asked to decide on defining marriage in their state as one man for one woman, as over 30 other states had done.
In the end, by around 5 percent or less in all states, those who support traditional marriage found themselves on the losing side - Washington, Maryland, and Maine deciding to legalize same-sex marriage, Minnesota deciding not to define marriage in the traditional way. The outcome there did not legalize gay marriage, however.
According to WORLD Magazine, Joseph Backholm, chairman of Preserve Marriage Washington, said in a statement. “The results show only that in a deep blue state, with a huge financial advantage, gay marriage activists can win—barely.”
I came across an interesting piece on National Review Online, by Charles Donovan, President of the Charlotte Lozier Institute, which is an arm of the Susan B. Anthony List. Referring to a chart on social issues that he included in the article, he is quoted as saying that:
Maine - 6 percent loss on gay marriage, Romney defeated by 16%
Maryland - 4 percent loss on marriage, Romney loss of 24%
Minnesota - 3 percent loss on marriage, Romney defeated by 8%
Washington - 4 percent loss on marriage, Romney off 12%
There are some differences as totals have come in; for instance, it appears that the Maine referendum to legalize gay marriage won by 5 points.
So, while a shift in the electorate's position on gay marriage is being triumphed, you still have to consider that even in these deep blue states, the conservative, traditional positions were not rejected by an overwhelming majority. Amidst the calls to moderate on social issues, the fact remains that there are still over 30 states that have traditional marriage amendments on the books, the size of the gay community is still relatively small (4%), despite the vocal nature of its constituency, and marriage remains a bedrock component of a stable society.
1 - Evangelicals go for Romney, but not enough
This past Tuesday, the orderly process of selecting leaders in a constitutional republic took place once again, and while there were a few irregularities reported in some areas, it is amazing to see that over 120 million people went to the polls and cast ballots in the general election without incident. And, after all the money spent, the time taken to campaign, and the immense amount of attention concentrated on it, America voted really for four more years of a similar leadership breakdown - re-electing a President, a Senate with 2 more Democrats than before, and a House that is majority Republican. And, what of the evangelical vote? - there were pundits that said prior to the election that the evangelical vote could make a difference in the election.
Two studies have been released about the participation of evangelical Christians, and CitizenLink has a report:
According to “How the Faithful Votes: 2012 Preliminary Analysis,” released by the Pew Research Center, the percentage of white evangelicals voting in the presidential election bumped slightly upward, from 23 percent of all voters in 2008 to 24 percent in 2012. Of those, 79 percent voted for Mitt Romney, while 20 percent said they voted for President Obama. That’s roughly equal to the number of evangelicals who said they voted for George W. Bush in 2004, but more than former Sen. John McCain received in his presidential bid in 2008 (73 percent).
The Faith and Freedom Coalition, had slightly different numbers: Its polling data revealed that the evangelical vote increased to 27 percent this year, with 78 percent of them voting for Romney and 21 percent for Obama.
As in other recent elections, those who attend religious services most often demonstrate the strongest support for the Republican presidential candidate, according to Pew: Nearly 60 percent of those who say they attend religious services once a week voted for Romney, while only 39 percent voted for Obama.
What are some lessons that we can learn from the 2012 election, as Christians? I offered 8 different items on my radio show on Wednesday. Here's a recap:
1 - Essentially, the American people voted for the status quo. And, this result comes even in light of polling data that shows that 6-in-10 Americans believe the country is on the wrong track.
2 - Economically, we are on an unsustainable path. Congress and the President must come together within the next 2 months to avert the fiscal cliff that we face, with the expiration of the Bush tax cuts and the deal that Congress made to enact cuts, which will deeply affect the military and other areas. And, with the growth in entitlement spending and the proliferation of an entitlement culture, there is a tremendous need for wisdom to address these issues.
3 - There is little silver lining today on Americans' views on the so-called social issues. It is certainly a reflection of a significant element of our society that does not embrace the Biblical definition of marriage, and it is seen in a variety of other areas, as well.
4 - We have a tremendous clash of worldviews in our culture. We have to define our approach and strategize in order to reach people who do not hold to the same beliefs as we do. Ultimately, our solutions do not come by who is in the White House, but how we function as God's house. Winning hearts and minds with God's truth, and winning souls to Jesus ultimately is our Lord's Great Commission and should be our aim and consuming passion.
5 - Passion can be misplaced. I have to think, if the time that I spend digesting political analysis through a variety of sources were to be channeled into strengthening my spiritual walk, I would have a deeper relationship with Christ and He would use me more powerfully. We have to really evaluate our passions - if we were stronger in the Lord and more grounded in Him, we would unleash an exponentially more powerful force on this earth than politics.
6 - We need to pray for our President. I am thrilled that there were so many prayer efforts leading up to the election. Now that the results are known, I don't think we should let up in our fervency for prayer. There are positions that Mr. Obama holds that are contradictory to those of many evangelical Christians, but that doesn't mean that God cannot or will not use him in His divine plan for America.
7 - There is so much for which to give God praise - so rejoice today. He loves you, and has brought you into a relationship with Himself through Christ. We can hope in Him. Praise Him for your family and the people around you. Give Him glory for His protection and His provision. Blessing the Lord for His blessings can help to change our perspective amidst discouragement.
8 - God is still on the throne. Ultimately, He is the One who is in control. There is abundant Scriptural evidence that He places kings in power and deposes them. The Bible says the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord - and even when kings, or presidents do not govern the way we think they should or the way that God hoas prescribed, that doesn't mean that somehow God's ultimate purposes are thwarted. Ultimately, all people, including those in governmental authority, will stand before the King of Kings, the ultimate Judge, who rules and reigns.
We recognize that our ultimate hope is not in politics, but in Almighty God. I don't believe we withdraw from the political process, but we have to be very intentional regarding our involvement, realizing that to move hearts, we have to be winning in our ways and our words, so that people will want to listen to and consider what we have to say.
3 - New leadership for Coptic Christians, Anglican church
This week, there were 2 high-profile appointments to leadership positions over church bodies in the world. The much-maligned Coptic Christian church, meaning the church in Egypt, appointed a new leader, a pope, this week. Pope Tawadros II was appointed last Sunday to replace Pope Shenouda III, who died in March after leading Egypt's Orthodox Christians for four decades. And, the new leader is speaking out in favor of an inclusive constitution for the country, in light of fears that the Muslim Brotherhood would institute sharia, or Islamic, Law.
He is quoted by The Christian Post, citing a Reuters story, as saying that, "The beauty of Egyptian society is the presence of Muslims beside Christians. Diversity is strong and beautiful." He went on to say that, "If a good constitution is presented in which every person finds himself [represented], there is no doubt Egypt will develop...But if the constitution addresses one part of the community and ignores another it will take society backwards."
The Copts are thought to have between 5 and 20 million adherents. We remember this group of believers, as well as other persecuted Christians on this, the International day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.
Also, in Great Britain, it was announced that a new Archbishop of Canterbury has been named, the culmination of a long selection process that eventually resulted in a committee making a recommendation, and the Queen of England giving final approval. The Archbishop is the head of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Bishop of Durham Justin Welby, who is believed to be strongly in the evangelical wing of the communion, including being opposed to same-sex marriage, has a background in business, in the oil industry.
CBN.com quotes Welby as saying that he felt privileged and astonished to be chosen to lead the Church at "a time of spiritual hunger."
Welby, who replaces the retiring Rowan Williams, will have his work cut out for him, as he attempts to lead a large group - an estimated 77 million members - with a diversity of views while maintaining his sense of conviction on delicate issues that have adversely affected the church.
2 - Ballot measures on legalizing gay marriage pass in 3 states, traditional marriage amendment fails in 1
While the majority of political eyes were on the Presidential and Congressional races, there was quite a bit of attention on the 4 ballot measures concerning marriage, in 4 states that were won by President Obama, and have gained a reputation for being generally liberal.
In Washington and Maryland, traditional marriage supporters had gained enough signatures to get a referendum vote put on the ballot to rescind what the legislature of those 2 states had done in approving gay marriage, and Maine also had a vote on whether or not to legalize same-sex marriage. In Minnesota, where gay marriage is currently illegal, voters were asked to decide on defining marriage in their state as one man for one woman, as over 30 other states had done.
In the end, by around 5 percent or less in all states, those who support traditional marriage found themselves on the losing side - Washington, Maryland, and Maine deciding to legalize same-sex marriage, Minnesota deciding not to define marriage in the traditional way. The outcome there did not legalize gay marriage, however.
According to WORLD Magazine, Joseph Backholm, chairman of Preserve Marriage Washington, said in a statement. “The results show only that in a deep blue state, with a huge financial advantage, gay marriage activists can win—barely.”
I came across an interesting piece on National Review Online, by Charles Donovan, President of the Charlotte Lozier Institute, which is an arm of the Susan B. Anthony List. Referring to a chart on social issues that he included in the article, he is quoted as saying that:
We did not win much and will take a media beating over it. But all of our issues ran better than the GOP headliner in the eight states listed, with the exception of Florida’s disappointing results on the abortion and Blaine Amendment issues. The social issues are not to blame.For example, in the gay marriage states, here are the results (based on early returns):
Maine - 6 percent loss on gay marriage, Romney defeated by 16%
Maryland - 4 percent loss on marriage, Romney loss of 24%
Minnesota - 3 percent loss on marriage, Romney defeated by 8%
Washington - 4 percent loss on marriage, Romney off 12%
There are some differences as totals have come in; for instance, it appears that the Maine referendum to legalize gay marriage won by 5 points.
So, while a shift in the electorate's position on gay marriage is being triumphed, you still have to consider that even in these deep blue states, the conservative, traditional positions were not rejected by an overwhelming majority. Amidst the calls to moderate on social issues, the fact remains that there are still over 30 states that have traditional marriage amendments on the books, the size of the gay community is still relatively small (4%), despite the vocal nature of its constituency, and marriage remains a bedrock component of a stable society.
1 - Evangelicals go for Romney, but not enough
This past Tuesday, the orderly process of selecting leaders in a constitutional republic took place once again, and while there were a few irregularities reported in some areas, it is amazing to see that over 120 million people went to the polls and cast ballots in the general election without incident. And, after all the money spent, the time taken to campaign, and the immense amount of attention concentrated on it, America voted really for four more years of a similar leadership breakdown - re-electing a President, a Senate with 2 more Democrats than before, and a House that is majority Republican. And, what of the evangelical vote? - there were pundits that said prior to the election that the evangelical vote could make a difference in the election.
Two studies have been released about the participation of evangelical Christians, and CitizenLink has a report:
According to “How the Faithful Votes: 2012 Preliminary Analysis,” released by the Pew Research Center, the percentage of white evangelicals voting in the presidential election bumped slightly upward, from 23 percent of all voters in 2008 to 24 percent in 2012. Of those, 79 percent voted for Mitt Romney, while 20 percent said they voted for President Obama. That’s roughly equal to the number of evangelicals who said they voted for George W. Bush in 2004, but more than former Sen. John McCain received in his presidential bid in 2008 (73 percent).
The Faith and Freedom Coalition, had slightly different numbers: Its polling data revealed that the evangelical vote increased to 27 percent this year, with 78 percent of them voting for Romney and 21 percent for Obama.
As in other recent elections, those who attend religious services most often demonstrate the strongest support for the Republican presidential candidate, according to Pew: Nearly 60 percent of those who say they attend religious services once a week voted for Romney, while only 39 percent voted for Obama.
What are some lessons that we can learn from the 2012 election, as Christians? I offered 8 different items on my radio show on Wednesday. Here's a recap:
1 - Essentially, the American people voted for the status quo. And, this result comes even in light of polling data that shows that 6-in-10 Americans believe the country is on the wrong track.
2 - Economically, we are on an unsustainable path. Congress and the President must come together within the next 2 months to avert the fiscal cliff that we face, with the expiration of the Bush tax cuts and the deal that Congress made to enact cuts, which will deeply affect the military and other areas. And, with the growth in entitlement spending and the proliferation of an entitlement culture, there is a tremendous need for wisdom to address these issues.
3 - There is little silver lining today on Americans' views on the so-called social issues. It is certainly a reflection of a significant element of our society that does not embrace the Biblical definition of marriage, and it is seen in a variety of other areas, as well.
4 - We have a tremendous clash of worldviews in our culture. We have to define our approach and strategize in order to reach people who do not hold to the same beliefs as we do. Ultimately, our solutions do not come by who is in the White House, but how we function as God's house. Winning hearts and minds with God's truth, and winning souls to Jesus ultimately is our Lord's Great Commission and should be our aim and consuming passion.
5 - Passion can be misplaced. I have to think, if the time that I spend digesting political analysis through a variety of sources were to be channeled into strengthening my spiritual walk, I would have a deeper relationship with Christ and He would use me more powerfully. We have to really evaluate our passions - if we were stronger in the Lord and more grounded in Him, we would unleash an exponentially more powerful force on this earth than politics.
6 - We need to pray for our President. I am thrilled that there were so many prayer efforts leading up to the election. Now that the results are known, I don't think we should let up in our fervency for prayer. There are positions that Mr. Obama holds that are contradictory to those of many evangelical Christians, but that doesn't mean that God cannot or will not use him in His divine plan for America.
7 - There is so much for which to give God praise - so rejoice today. He loves you, and has brought you into a relationship with Himself through Christ. We can hope in Him. Praise Him for your family and the people around you. Give Him glory for His protection and His provision. Blessing the Lord for His blessings can help to change our perspective amidst discouragement.
8 - God is still on the throne. Ultimately, He is the One who is in control. There is abundant Scriptural evidence that He places kings in power and deposes them. The Bible says the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord - and even when kings, or presidents do not govern the way we think they should or the way that God hoas prescribed, that doesn't mean that somehow God's ultimate purposes are thwarted. Ultimately, all people, including those in governmental authority, will stand before the King of Kings, the ultimate Judge, who rules and reigns.
We recognize that our ultimate hope is not in politics, but in Almighty God. I don't believe we withdraw from the political process, but we have to be very intentional regarding our involvement, realizing that to move hearts, we have to be winning in our ways and our words, so that people will want to listen to and consider what we have to say.
Monday, November 05, 2012
The 3 - November 4, 2012
On this week's edition of "The 3", my week-in-review feature, a look at a college campus which has seen two recent incidences of religious expression being affected negatively, reminding us that school campuses can become areas of concern regarding free speech. Also, it was an active week concerning the mandate that organizations, including many religious entitites, provide free contraception and abortion-inducing drugs in their health care plans. And, the top story - Christian churches and ministries were once again on the front lines providing assistance to storm victims, this time in the Northeast.
3 - Religious expression at LSU under scrutiny
As the frenzy at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge built to a fever pitch at the prospect of a near-upset victory by LSU over #1 Alabama, in the midst of that throng was a group called the "Painted Posse". These are actually Christians who paint their bodies to show their dedication to the Golden Tigers, but they also paint a cross near their shoulder to express their devotion to Christ.
There was a picture of some of their number that had been circulated by the university after the LSU victory over South Carolina earlier this season - there was one small problem: the crosses had been "photo-shopped" out. According to Baptist Press, LSU spokesman Herb Vincent claimed they altered the photo from the Oct. 20 game because they didn't want to offend anyone.
"We don't want to imply we are making any religious or political statements, so we airbrushed it out," Vincent said. "It was just a straight sports communications message, no politics involved, no religion."
Following that incident, the Posse members reportedly asked themselves, "What would Jesus do?" They publicly forgave the university for the incident and are urging everyone to put the incident behind them - with one caveat.
The members offered a press release, which said, in part:
And, speaking of sports and faith, the Marbury High School cheerleaders greeted their football team in its game at Wetumpka Friday night with a bold Scripture banner for them to run through. Based on Romans 1:16, which involves not being ashamed of the gospel, the banner was allowed by the Autauga County Superintendent, which apparently has no intention of responding to a challenge by the Freedom from Religion Foundation, which had written a letter to the school district stating the banners are unconstitutional.
Back to LSU, now - there is a new religious freedom controversy brewing there. CitizenLink reports that the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) filed a lawsuit Wednesday on behalf of a student prohibited from distributing pro-life literature beyond a 1,000 square-foot area on the LSU campus.
In October, a student who wanted to participate in the Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity by handing out pro-life materials was told by LSU officials that she could do so only in the school’s “Free Speech Alley — the one place on campus where students and organizations are permitted to distribute printed materials.
ADF Legal Counsel Matt Sharp argues that the idea of this "Free Speech Alley" restricts religious freedom, saying that colleges and universities should encourage, not shut down, the free exchange of ideas:
2 - More court action on the HHS contraception mandate
It was an active week concerning the mandate from the Department of Health and Human Services that forces employers, including those with religious objections, to provide free contraception and abortion-inducing drugs through their health care plans. CitizenLink.com had quite an assortment of stories.
One plaintiff, the large craft store chain, Hobby Lobby, was in court this week before a Federal court in Oklahoma. Also, on Thursday, Criswell College, a Christian university in Dallas, Texas, filed a challenge to the mandate, bringing the count up to 39 separate lawsuits involving more than 110 plaintiffs.
Also this week, Grote Industries, a secular business based in Indiana that makes lights for cars and trucks, which is owned by a Catholic family, filed suit against the mandate. Christian book and Bible publisher Tyndale House had a court date that was postponed due to Superstorm Sandy.
And, there was a victory in one of the cases this week: Weingartz Supply Company, which is owned by a Catholic, became the second organization to receive a court-ordered preliminary injunction stopping the mandate. In July, a federal court ordered an injunction saying Hercules Industries, a Catholic-owned business in Denver, is exempt from it while its lawsuit proceeds.
Thomas More Law Center Lead Counsel Erin Mersino, said the judge’s opinion “is not only a victory for our clients, but for religious freedom.”
In his ruling, Federal District Court Judge Robert H. Cleland said the loss of First Amendment freedoms, even if for a short period of time, will injure the plaintiffs by infringing on their religious beliefs.
“The balance of harms tips strongly in Plaintiffs’ favor,” Cleland concluded. He said, “A preliminary injunction is warranted,” as the case continues.
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, who filed an amicus brief supporting the plaintiffs on Sept. 27, called Cleland’s ruling an “important step” in defeating an unconstitutional mandate.
So, despite claims by the Administration that no one is forced to provide these objectionable drugs, business owners, school administrators, and now judges are recognizing that this mandate is an infringement on religious freedom.
1 - Churches, ministry organizations respond in the wake of Superstorm Sandy
Superstorm Sandy, the convergence of a hurricane with a major winter storm, has caused widespread damage and the loss of dozens of lives along the Northeast coast. And, as we commonly see in times of crisis, Christian organizations in the New York City area were already in position to help, and national and international ministries, such as Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, the Salvation Army, Samaritan's Purse, the Billy Graham Rapid Reponse Team, and World Vision, were significantly involved in the relief effort, providing physical and spiritual assistance.
Emily Belz covered the situation in the Northeast for WORLD Magazine, and wrote about some of the relief efforts. She cited Hope for New York, a nonprofit affiliate of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, as it helped to coordinate relief efforts between churches and nonprofit groups, posting needs on its website. All Angels Church on the Upper West Side requested hygiene kits and blankets. New York City Relief asked for clothing and food. Other churches in Queens sent out foot patrols to check on their neighbors.
“This is the time for the church to respond and to serve our city as Christ has so well served us,” wrote Apostles Church NYC on its website Tuesday, enumerating ways for parishioners to help.
Churches planned relief efforts even as they bailed out their own buildings. In Queens Tuesday morning, members of Trinity Grace Church helped clean out the flooded church offices at Skyline City Church. World Vision reported that its storehouse in the Bronx flooded, damaging a “great deal of assets.”
The Bowery Mission, a Christian group that primarily serves the homeless in the city, opened its emergency shelter Monday to more than 150 needing a roof over their heads. The mission said on Tuesday that it had lost power and its food pantry was dwindling—but the mission had initially tripled its normal capacity. And, people from other shelters began to flock to the Bowery.
So, in a time of need, the church and ministry organizations provided needed food and shelter, and will no doubt be major players in the cleanup efforts in areas where homes were damaged due to flooding and wind. When the storms come, it's important that the church is prepared and engaged to display the hands and feet of Jesus Christ.
3 - Religious expression at LSU under scrutiny
As the frenzy at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge built to a fever pitch at the prospect of a near-upset victory by LSU over #1 Alabama, in the midst of that throng was a group called the "Painted Posse". These are actually Christians who paint their bodies to show their dedication to the Golden Tigers, but they also paint a cross near their shoulder to express their devotion to Christ.
There was a picture of some of their number that had been circulated by the university after the LSU victory over South Carolina earlier this season - there was one small problem: the crosses had been "photo-shopped" out. According to Baptist Press, LSU spokesman Herb Vincent claimed they altered the photo from the Oct. 20 game because they didn't want to offend anyone.
"We don't want to imply we are making any religious or political statements, so we airbrushed it out," Vincent said. "It was just a straight sports communications message, no politics involved, no religion."
Following that incident, the Posse members reportedly asked themselves, "What would Jesus do?" They publicly forgave the university for the incident and are urging everyone to put the incident behind them - with one caveat.
The members offered a press release, which said, in part:
"We encourage anyone who would like to honor Jesus Christ to join us by wearing a cross on November 3rd. We strongly discourage the wearing of a cross as a way to protest the university or its recent decision. We desire that no further negative light would be shone upon the university that we love. We acknowledge the efforts of the LSU administration and look forward to serving the university as both fans and students."I'm not sure how many Tiger or Tide fans may have shown support for the Posse during the game Saturday night. But, the story has attracted national attention, and illustrates how sporting events can be platforms to express faith in Christ.
And, speaking of sports and faith, the Marbury High School cheerleaders greeted their football team in its game at Wetumpka Friday night with a bold Scripture banner for them to run through. Based on Romans 1:16, which involves not being ashamed of the gospel, the banner was allowed by the Autauga County Superintendent, which apparently has no intention of responding to a challenge by the Freedom from Religion Foundation, which had written a letter to the school district stating the banners are unconstitutional.
Back to LSU, now - there is a new religious freedom controversy brewing there. CitizenLink reports that the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) filed a lawsuit Wednesday on behalf of a student prohibited from distributing pro-life literature beyond a 1,000 square-foot area on the LSU campus.
In October, a student who wanted to participate in the Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity by handing out pro-life materials was told by LSU officials that she could do so only in the school’s “Free Speech Alley — the one place on campus where students and organizations are permitted to distribute printed materials.
ADF Legal Counsel Matt Sharp argues that the idea of this "Free Speech Alley" restricts religious freedom, saying that colleges and universities should encourage, not shut down, the free exchange of ideas:
“By limiting the distribution of material and free speech to less than 1 percent of the campus, Louisiana State University is violating the constitutionally protected freedoms of students who should be free to express themselves on the sidewalks and open spaces at the university,” he explained.A number of college campuses have become zones where free speech and freedom of religious expression become restricted, and Christian students who wish to express themselves are finding that there are administrators that want to limit their ability to share and express their faith, and to choose leaders and members of Christian organizations that adhere to their beliefs.
2 - More court action on the HHS contraception mandate
It was an active week concerning the mandate from the Department of Health and Human Services that forces employers, including those with religious objections, to provide free contraception and abortion-inducing drugs through their health care plans. CitizenLink.com had quite an assortment of stories.
One plaintiff, the large craft store chain, Hobby Lobby, was in court this week before a Federal court in Oklahoma. Also, on Thursday, Criswell College, a Christian university in Dallas, Texas, filed a challenge to the mandate, bringing the count up to 39 separate lawsuits involving more than 110 plaintiffs.
Also this week, Grote Industries, a secular business based in Indiana that makes lights for cars and trucks, which is owned by a Catholic family, filed suit against the mandate. Christian book and Bible publisher Tyndale House had a court date that was postponed due to Superstorm Sandy.
And, there was a victory in one of the cases this week: Weingartz Supply Company, which is owned by a Catholic, became the second organization to receive a court-ordered preliminary injunction stopping the mandate. In July, a federal court ordered an injunction saying Hercules Industries, a Catholic-owned business in Denver, is exempt from it while its lawsuit proceeds.
Thomas More Law Center Lead Counsel Erin Mersino, said the judge’s opinion “is not only a victory for our clients, but for religious freedom.”
In his ruling, Federal District Court Judge Robert H. Cleland said the loss of First Amendment freedoms, even if for a short period of time, will injure the plaintiffs by infringing on their religious beliefs.
“The balance of harms tips strongly in Plaintiffs’ favor,” Cleland concluded. He said, “A preliminary injunction is warranted,” as the case continues.
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, who filed an amicus brief supporting the plaintiffs on Sept. 27, called Cleland’s ruling an “important step” in defeating an unconstitutional mandate.
So, despite claims by the Administration that no one is forced to provide these objectionable drugs, business owners, school administrators, and now judges are recognizing that this mandate is an infringement on religious freedom.
1 - Churches, ministry organizations respond in the wake of Superstorm Sandy
Superstorm Sandy, the convergence of a hurricane with a major winter storm, has caused widespread damage and the loss of dozens of lives along the Northeast coast. And, as we commonly see in times of crisis, Christian organizations in the New York City area were already in position to help, and national and international ministries, such as Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, the Salvation Army, Samaritan's Purse, the Billy Graham Rapid Reponse Team, and World Vision, were significantly involved in the relief effort, providing physical and spiritual assistance.
Emily Belz covered the situation in the Northeast for WORLD Magazine, and wrote about some of the relief efforts. She cited Hope for New York, a nonprofit affiliate of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, as it helped to coordinate relief efforts between churches and nonprofit groups, posting needs on its website. All Angels Church on the Upper West Side requested hygiene kits and blankets. New York City Relief asked for clothing and food. Other churches in Queens sent out foot patrols to check on their neighbors.
“This is the time for the church to respond and to serve our city as Christ has so well served us,” wrote Apostles Church NYC on its website Tuesday, enumerating ways for parishioners to help.
Churches planned relief efforts even as they bailed out their own buildings. In Queens Tuesday morning, members of Trinity Grace Church helped clean out the flooded church offices at Skyline City Church. World Vision reported that its storehouse in the Bronx flooded, damaging a “great deal of assets.”
The Bowery Mission, a Christian group that primarily serves the homeless in the city, opened its emergency shelter Monday to more than 150 needing a roof over their heads. The mission said on Tuesday that it had lost power and its food pantry was dwindling—but the mission had initially tripled its normal capacity. And, people from other shelters began to flock to the Bowery.
So, in a time of need, the church and ministry organizations provided needed food and shelter, and will no doubt be major players in the cleanup efforts in areas where homes were damaged due to flooding and wind. When the storms come, it's important that the church is prepared and engaged to display the hands and feet of Jesus Christ.
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