The 3 - December 27, 2015

This week's edition of The 3, my week-in-review feature, includes an announcement by a leading Christian evangelist, that he will no longer affiliate with a particular political party.   Also, the co-founder of a large Christian ministry went home to be with the Lord this past week.  And, the new governor of Kentucky issued an order that county clerks' names no longer have to appear on marriage licenses.

3 - Christian evangelist announces departure from GOP

Evangelist Franklin Graham, who heads the organization that his father, Billy Graham, founded, as well as the relief agency, Samaritan's Purse, made a bold statement regarding his affiliation with the Republican party.  On his Facebook page, he wrote:

Shame on the Republicans and the Democrats for passing such a wasteful spending bill last week. And to top it off, funding Planned Parenthood! A Huffington Post article called it “a big win for Planned Parenthood.” I call it a big loss for America. After all of the appalling facts revealed this year about Planned Parenthood, our representatives in Washington had a chance to put a stop to this, but they didn’t. There’s no question—taxpayers should not be paying for abortions!

Graham called abortion "murder in God's eyes."  He continued by saying: "Nothing was done to trim this 2,000 page, $1.1 trillion budget. This is an example of why I have resigned from the Republican Party and declared myself Independent. I have no hope in the Republican Party, the Democratic Party, or Tea Party to do what is best for America. Unless more godly men and women get in this process and change this wicked system, our country is in for trouble."  He challenged Christians to consider running for office.  He also mentioned the Decision America tour, in which he will be travelling state-by-state to hold prayer rallies.  The first is in Des Moines, Iowa, site of the nation's first Presidential caucuses.  The Franklin Graham event there is January 5.   Learn more at decisionamericatour.com.

2 - Co-founder of Campus Crusade for Christ (now Cru in the U.S.) home for Christmas

Vonette Bright, who, along with her late husband Bill Bright, founded Campus Crusade for Christ, which is now known as Cru in the U.S., died earlier this week from acute leukemia at the age of 89. Christianity Today published a story on her death.

The Brights had met when they were very young, lost touch, and then reconnected when he was in seminary.  They became engaged, but there was something standing in the way. The CT story says that although Vonette had grown up in church, she wasn’t serious about her faith. She felt Bill was too serious. She later wrote, according to the Cru website, “I decided Bill had become a religious fanatic and that somehow he must be rescued from this fanaticism,” adding, “At the same time, Bill was beginning to think that perhaps I was not a Christian. He knew he could not marry me until there was a change in my spiritual life.”

She did give her life to the Lord, they married in 1948, and in 1951, on the campus of UCLA, they founded Campus Crusade for Christ. Now, the organization reports having more than 25,000 staff members and 300,000 volunteers working in 173 countries. Vonette was involved in prayer ministry, including the organization of a national prayer rally in preparation for Explo ’72, a national Campus Crusade conference that drew a reported 80,000 students to the Cotton Bowl in 1971. The prayer rally itself drew 7,000 women. Later, she would host a series of events known as the Great Commission Prayer Crusade, would serve on the Lausanne Committee for World Evangelization, and would be a chair of the National Day of Prayer Task Force.

1 - New Kentucky governor removes clerks' names from marriage licenses

Newly-elected Kentucky governor Matt Bevin issued an executive order this past week that removes the names of all County Clerks from marriage licenses. According to Liberty Counsel's website, this action "protects the religious rights and freedoms of Kim Davis and all other clerks in Kentucky. This action is a fulfillment of a campaign promise by Gov. Bevin and is directly what our client Kim Davis has been requesting for months. This promise will enable her and other clerks to do their jobs without compromising religious values and beliefs."

Liberty Counsel has represented Kim Davis, the Rowan County, Kentucky clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.  A Federal judge placed her in jail for almost a week.  Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel, stated, "...What former Gov. Beshear could have done but refused to do, Gov. Bevin did with this executive order. We are pleased that Gov. Bevin kept his campaign promise to accommodate the religious rights of Kim Davis. We will notify the courts of the executive order and this order proves our point that a reasonable accommodation should have been done to avoid Kim having to spend time in jail."

The 3 - December 20, 2015

This week's edition of The 3, my week-in-review feature, includes coverage of a meeting of a group of evangelical leaders this week to discuss the refugee crisis.  Also, taxpayer funding of the nation's largest abortion provider continues in the new massive budget bill approved this week by Congress. And, a professor at a Christian college is now on leave because of comments she made related to Muslims and Christians worshipping the same God.

3 - Faith leaders meet to discuss refugee crisis

A group of over 100 evangelical leaders met earlier this week in Chicago to discuss a Biblical response toward Syrian refugees who are seeking to come to America.  A report on the Baptist Press website says that those gathered issued a joint declaration on caring for refugees in the midst of a humanitarian crisis affecting nearly 60 million displaced persons worldwide.

Those gathered discussed the statement on Thursday at the Great Commandment, Great Commission Summit (GC2) at the Billy Graham Center for Evangelism (BGCE) at Wheaton College in Chicago.
The statement reads, "In light of this crisis, we commit ourselves and our churches to actively care for and minister to global refugees with mercy and compassion, both here and abroad, based on God's compelling concern for all people in need and especially refugees."  The "Christian Declaration on Caring for Refugees: An Evangelical Response" affirms six key beliefs:

• Refugees possess the image of God and, as such, are infinitely valuable to God and to us.
• We are commanded to love our neighbor, and it is our privilege to love refugees.
• As Christians, we must care sacrificially for the refugee, the foreigner, and the stranger.
• We will motivate and prepare our churches and movements to care for refugees.
• We will not be motivated by fear but by love for God and others.
• Christians are called to grace-filled and humble speech about this issue.

There will be a follow-up live-streamed summit at Wheaton on January 20, 2016.

Ed Stetzer, Executive Director of LifeWay Research, in a teleconference announcing the statement is quoted as saying, regarding the public rhetoric in general, that it "has often been demeaning and dehumanizing, and we think that refugees need to be spoken of in ways that are appropriate for people created in the image of God."

2 - Spending bill passes Congress, Planned Parenthood funding intact

Last Friday, the $1.1 trillion bill known as the omnibus spending bill, sailed through the U.S. House of Representatives.  The Daily Signal reports that the vote was 316-113.  Ninety-five Republicans split with House GOP leadership to vote against the spending bill. Another 150 Republicans supported it, while just 18 Democrats opposed it.  The website reports that the budget vote in the Senate was 65-33.

The Daily Signal also reports that the budget was slated to continue to allow hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer funds, from both discretionary funding under Title X and from Medicaid reimbursements, to flow to Planned Parenthood Federation of America affiliates, despite the videos that have been released over the past few months that show Planned Parenthood personnel involved in selling parts from aborted babies.

The website says:

The funds currently flowing to Planned Parenthood affiliates should be redirected to health centers that offer comprehensive health care without entanglement in abortion on demand. Members of Congress had the opportunity with the year-end funding bill to end both mandatory and discretionary federal funding of Planned Parenthood and end taxpayer entanglement with the largest abortion provider in the country, but they failed to do so.

The Daily Signal also pointed out that, "While long-standing pro-life riders are included in the omnibus, a much-needed policy to address serious conscience violations is missing from the spending bill."

1 - Professor at Christian college suspended due to comments about Muslims and Christians worshipping the same God

Larycia Hawkins is a political science professor at Wheaton College near Chicago.  To show solidarity with Muslims during Advent, she announced she would begin to wear a headscarf, or hijab. But, she also made a theological statement that resulted in her being placed on administrative leave by the university, according to a report on the Christianity Today website.

The report said that in a Facebook post on December 10, she wrote, “I stand in religious solidarity with Muslims because they, like me, a Christian, are people of the book,” adding, “And as Pope Francis stated last week, we worship the same God.” Also, Hawkins tweeted in response to her critics. “A holy kiss to you who disavow the idea that Muslims & Christians worship the same God: I love you. Peace & respect..."

A statement by the university said, "Wheaton College faculty and staff make a commitment to accept and model our institution’s faith foundations with integrity, compassion, and theological clarity,” adding, “As they participate in various causes, it is essential that faculty and staff engage in and speak about public issues in ways that faithfully represent the college’s evangelical Statement of Faith.”

The college said that the disciplinary action was taken not because Hawkins was wearing a hijab, but "in response to significant questions regarding the theological implications of statements that [Hawkins] made about the relationship of Christianity to Islam." Hawkins will receive “the full review to which she is entitled as a tenured faculty member,” the college stated.

The 3 - December 13, 2015

On this week's edition of my week-in-review feature, The 3, there's some controversy at a large Southern public university about a Christmas celebration that no longer uses that word - yes, Christmas.  Also, Christian leaders are speaking out about how best to deal with the threat of radical Islam, in light of the San Bernardino massacre.  And, football and faith tops our news, with some recent stories about how expressions of faith on the gridiron are being restricted.

3 - Ole Miss eliminates "Christmas" from event title, attempts to explain

A large public university has changed  the name of its "Grand Ole Christmas" event that has been celebrated for the past 6 years - now, the Ole Miss event is called "Hotty Toddy Holidays."

According to a story on the Breitbart website, Kayp Maye, the co-director of special events for the Student Activities Association, in a statement to News Watch 99, said the former name of the event “connoted too much Christianity on campus and so we wanted to have a more inclusive environment for the holidays this year.”

Furthermore, the event will replace traditional Christmas colors with red, blue, and silver in order to “attract a more mature audience” with a Winter Wonderland as opposed to a Christmas theme.

The Breitbart story described how the university attempted to blunt the blow by issuing a statement by vice chancellor of student affairs, Brandi Hephner LaBanc, who said, according to WREG Television,  “This is a 21-year-old student who wanted to make all students feel welcome and come to this annual event,” adding, “He is very sincere in his wish that he had expressed himself better. It is unfortunate that these reports, including repetition of incomplete information on social media, have misrepresented the nature of the event and his intent as a Christian to welcome people of all faiths and backgrounds. LaBanc is also quoted as saying, "This student organization led a celebration that continued to honor Christmas traditions while welcoming all students to a holiday gathering."

2 - Christian leaders divided on Muslim immigration

The dilemma of how to deal with radical Islam today is a challenging one, and an issue over which Christians are disagreeing.  A WORLD story by Jamie Dean highlights the division.  In light of comments made by Republican Presidential frontrunner Donald Trump, she writes:

Trump ignited a political firestorm on Monday when he said the United States should stop admitting Muslims into the country “until our representatives find out what’s going on” with radical Islam. He hasn’t said what that process should entail.

She also referred to statements by Franklin Graham:

Graham of the Christian aid agency Samaritan’s Purse defended Trump’s position: “Muslim immigration into the United States should be stopped until we can properly vet them or until the war with Islam is over.” Graham cited a poll of Muslims living in America released by the Center for Security Policy in June. The group reported that 29 percent of the 600 survey participants said they believed violence against those who insult Muhammad is acceptable.

I would submit that Samaritan's Purse has been involved in significant ministry to Muslims through its relief efforts, as well as through the ministry of Operation Christmas Child, which reaches out to children, including those in Muslim nations, all around the world.

Dr. Russell Moore of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission disagreed, saying, according to the WORLD report:

“Anyone who cares an iota about religious liberty should denounce this reckless, demagogic rhetoric.” Moore also noted: “A government that can shut down mosques simply because they are mosques can shut down Bible studies because they are Bible studies. A government that can close the borders to all Muslims simply on the basis of their religious belief can do the same thing for evangelical Christians.”

And, as Dean points out:

Other GOP presidential contenders distanced themselves from Trump’s proposal. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., called the statements “offensive and outlandish.” Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said Trump was “unhinged.” Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson called the plan “unconstitutional,” adding, “It’s just not who we are.”

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said he also disagreed with Trump’s proposal, but he avoided criticizing the party’s front-runner, even as Cruz rises in the polls.

There is polling data that was released this past week about the proposal. Politico reported on an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll out Thursday, in which 57% percent of Americans surveyed oppose Trump's  call for a “a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on.” But 25 percent of those polled support the idea. That poll said that 42% of Republicans support the proposal.

The Hill published a story about a Rasmussen poll that found that 46 percent of likely voters would favor a policy preventing Muslim immigrants from entering the country until tighter screening procedures can be implemented, while 40 percent would oppose such a measure.  Among likely Republican voters, 66 percent would support the ban, while 24 percent would oppose it.  The Hill also reported on a Bloomberg Politics/Purple Strategies PulsePoll released Wednesday that found that Trump's remarks are backed by 65 percent of likely GOP voters.

Doug Usher of Purple Strategies, said, We believe these numbers are made up of some people who are truly expressing religious bigotry and others who are fearful about terrorism and are willing to do anything they think might make us safer,” "This indicates that, despite some conventional wisdom expressed in the last 48 hours, this is unlikely to hurt Trump at least in the primary campaign."

This past week in Washington, DC, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention held a Capitol Conversations event on the topic of the Syrian refugee crisis. According to a WORLD Magazine report on it by J.C. Derrick, Russell Moore said Christians should remember some people “we may fear may be our future brothers and sisters in Christ.”

You can read my Front Room commentary, encompassing this information, as well as some thoughts on how we as Christians can respond, here.

1 - Football and faith combination causes issues in CO, FL, IL

Football season is now winding down, with most, if not all, high school season completed and many collegians now entering into their bowl stages.  And, the mix of faith and football continues to have some formidable storylines.

Take, for instance, the situation involving players on the Air Force Academy football team. ChristianNews.net reports that the Academy is investigating the prayer practice of its football team after a complaint from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. The MRFF recently contacted the academy in stating that it had been been told by a number of cadets and faculty that the Air Force Academy Falcons have been praying on the field before each game. In fact, it happened during its recent game against San Diego, when they lined up in a row as they took a knee.  Using trademark incendiary language, MRFF President Mikey Weinstein, is quoted as saying, “It’s a putrid example of fundamentalist Christian supremacy, triumphalism and exceptionalism and it has to stop.”

And, in Florida, according to a story from ChristianNews.net, two Christian schools were playing in a football game in Orlando's Citrus Bowl Stadium in Florida recently, and were barred from praying over the public address system because the event was held at a facility paid for by public tax money.

Officials with Cambridge Christian School of Tampa and University Christian School of Jacksonville had sent letters to the Florida High School Athletics Association (FHSAA) requesting permission to pray over the loudspeaker, but were denied. Tim Euler, principal of Cambridge Christian School, told Bay News9: “We’ve played 13 football games this year...We’ve prayed before every one of them.”

Euler is quoted as saying that he doesn’t agree with the Athletic Association’s reasoning, but did not fight the denial. He is quoted as saying: “The state legislature opens up every one of their sessions in prayer and that facility is paid for with tax dollars,” adding, “If they can pray there, we can pray here, and I want them to be able to pray there and I want us to be able to pray here. So I think [the association’s] reasoning is flawed at the core of it.”

And, ChristianNews.net reports on a high school football team in Illinois that is standing by its coach after he was recently told to stop leading players in prayer when the Freedom from Religion Foundation wrote to the Naperville Community Unit School District 203 after photos surfaced of Naperville Central High School coach Mike Stine praying with his team, the Redhawks.

Staff attorney Ryan Jayne, in a letter, said: “Public school coaches must refrain not only from leading prayers themselves, but also from participating in students’ prayers." It continued, “It is unconstitutional for public school employees to participate in the religious activities of their students.”

The district issued a statement this past Thursday, which said: “We are aware that a coach-led prayer is not appropriate,” adding, “The head football coach has been instructed that neither he nor his staff may lead his players in prayer. This message has been communicated to the athletic directors at both high schools to ensure that this expectation is shared with coaches of all sports at all levels.”

Just a note:  the story does not say whether or not Stine was actually leading in prayer, just that the FFRF had received a report that he was.

The team released a statement, saying: "We, as a football team and a family, give Coach Stine our full support...He is the best coach in the state and cares about each and every one of us more than any other coach cares about his players."

It continues: "We are proud that he is willing to stand up for his faith and for the example he sets for us...He is a role model for every one of us in a world where true male role models are becoming few and far between."

The 3 - December 6, 2015

This week in my week-in-review feature, The 3, I explore a possible religion-oriented conflict that could have been at play in the San Bernardino shootings this past week.   Also, an "inclusion and diversity" office at a major Southern university has offered some concerning comments about making sure that holiday parties are "inclusive."  And, the U.S. Senate has passed a significant pro-life bill that would halt most taxpayer funding of the nation's largest abortion provider.

3 - Some Christians lose lives in San Bernardino attack

As the information continues to emerge and a clearer picture of what may have led up to the shootings on Wednesday at a San Bernardino, California, center for disabled people, some spiritual content has become known.

WORLD Magazine reported on Christians who were among the 14 who lost their lives in the incident. A Messianic Jew named Nicholas Thalasinos, had engaged in a heated discussion about the nature of Islam with his colleague Syed Farook two weeks before Farook and presumed wife Tashfeen Malik opened fire that day. In that discussion, the San Bernardino County restaurant inspectors argued about whether Islam is a peaceful religion—Thalasinos said it isn’t, and Farook disagreed, saying Americans don’t understand Islam, according to a friend who overheard the debate.

The wife of Nicholas Thalasinos, Jennifer, said Thursday her husband became born again two years ago and was always evangelizing. She is quoted as saying: “He wanted to serve the Lord and bring more people to the Lord.” He also was a passionate defender of Israel and his other conservative political and religious views. She believes her husband was “martyred for his faith and beliefs.”

Other victims include Bennetta Betbadal, a county health inspector who was 18 when she fled Islamic extremism and persecution of Christians after the Iranian Revolution. Also, the wife of Michael Raymond Wetzel, a environmental health specialist, posted Psalm 61:2 on Facebook after her husband's death.

GetReligion.org asked some questions about the nature of the relationship between Thalasinos and Farook:

One question leads to another. Was this workplace violence? Was he provoked, somehow? In his mind, was he on a mission from Allah? Was Farook planning an even larger act of violence against unbelievers and crusaders, but something at that office party made him fly into action on this day?

From the beginning, I have been curious to know more details about the "holiday party" that Farook briefly attended, before leaving (some witnesses said in anger) and returning with his wife Tashfeen Malik to slaughter his co-workers.

News coverage has mentioned that the room contained Christmas trees and other decorations.

Writer Terry Mattingly then offers this analysis:

Yes, there is a chance that the First Amendment is going to take a hit in discussions of his massacre, since there was an evangelical Christian present – a Messianic Jew, to be precise – who had previously talked about politics and faith with Farook. To make matters worse, Thalasinos may have criticized Islam and suggested that Farook needed to convert to Christianity.

So, when you have an alleged perpetrator who had recently pledged support to ISIS, whose "husband" had apparently become radicalized, one can only suppose, based on previous ISIS behavior, that Christians could have been targets.   As more information is reported, we shall see, but there is a troubling element here that indicates that at least one of the victims could have been targeted because of his faith. As Mattingly writes, "From the beginning, I have been curious to know more details about the "holiday party" that Farook briefly attended, before leaving (some witnesses said in anger) and returning with his wife Tashfeen Malik to slaughter his co-workers."

2 - University chancellor under fire for Christmas party comments

The Office for Diversity and Inclusion at my alma mater, the University of Tennessee is at it again. The office had received some flak earlier this year for posting these gender-neutral pronouns on its website, which were later removed.  Now Todd Starnes of Fox News reports that the office recently released an “unofficial” edict calling for the campus to host holiday parties that do not emphasize religion or culture.

Thee organization warned in an online document titled, "Best Practices for Inclusive Holiday Celebrations in the Workplace," to "Ensure your holiday party is not a Christmas party in disguise."

The so-called "Best Practices" is "...a list of suggestions for inclusive celebrations,” they stated, adding, “We recognize that our campus community is diverse and its members observe various religious and faiths.”

The statement went on to point out they "honor Christmas as one of the celebrations of the season and the birth of Jesus and the corresponding Christmas observance is one of the Christian holidays on our cultural and religious holidays calendar."

A suggestion that is made is that, "Holiday parties should not play games with religious or cultural themes," singling out "Dreidel" and "Secret Santa."

The recommendations have drawn the ire of alumni – including Rep. John Duncan, who told Starnes: "The people I represent are disgusted by this," adding, "People from all over the country are sick and tired of all this political correctness."  Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey is quoted as saying, "While the advisory makes clear it is not university policy, these ‘suggestions’ call into question what purpose university offices of diversity serve."

The Tennessean reports that Ramsey, in a Facebook post Friday morning, said if UT-Knoxville Chancellor Jimmy Cheek approved the post, he should resign. If not, Ramsey said, "the entire staff of the Office for Diversity and Inclusion should be dismissed." The newspaper also states that Senate Education Committee Chairwoman Dolores Gresham and Senate Government Operations Committee Chairman Mike Bell, called for Cheek's resignation on Thursday, and Rep. Sheila Butt said voters should urge lawmakers to cut UT's diversity funding during the upcoming legislative session, which starts in January.

1 - U.S. Senate passes bill to drastically reduce Planned Parenthood funding and weaken Obamacare

The U.S. Senate, using a method called "reconciliation" that only requires 51 votes in order to pass a bill, rather than to achieve a 60-vote threshold to cut off debate, has approved a bill that, according to LifeNews.com, would block, for one year, most federal payments to Planned Parenthood. At least 89% of federal funding of Planned Parenthood would be blocked by the bill.

The reports says that the bill would repeal a number of major components of the Obamacare health law, including two of the major provisions that will lead to rationing of lifesaving care — the “Independent Payment Advisory Board” and the “excess benefits tax.”  The vote was 52-47.

The LifeNews story points out that the bill now goes back to the House and will head to President Barack Obama once the House approves the measure. Though Obama will veto the bill, the vote makes it clear that, under a pro-life president, Congress can get a de-funding bill approved with a majority vote that the president would sign into law.

Leading pro-life groups that also support the reconciliation bill to de-fund Planned Parenthood include Susan B. Anthony List, National Right to Life, Family Research Council, March for Life, Concerned Women for America, Students for Life, Priests for Life, Operation Rescue, and American Life League, among others.

The 3 - November 29, 2015

In this week's edition of The 3, my week-in-review feature, there are developments at a VA hospital in Virginia that attempted to restrict expressions of Christmas.  Also, pro-life groups are responding in light of the shooting at a Planned Parenthood center in Colorado last Friday.  And, there were developments recently concerning the admitting privileges of abortionists at local hospitals.

3 - Compromise reached about Christmas expressions at Virginia VA hospital 

A controversy at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salem, Virginia originated with an e-mail sent by officials to employees banning Christmas trees in public areas, according to a report on the WORLD Magazine website, which said that the e-mail stated: “Trees (regardless of the types of ornaments used) have been deemed to promote the Christian religion and will not be permitted in any public areas this year." The e-mail also noted that religious decorations could be used in employees' “personal work areas,” but any music playing out loud had to be secular and non-religious. And, administrators warned visitors hoping to entertain with Christmas carols about the new rules. John Sines, is quoted in the WORLD piece. He is pastor of Rock Pick Baptist Church, and told Fox News an official informed him he could only sing “holiday songs.”

WORLD referenced a report from NBC that management held a private lunch meeting on Friday, November 20, with about 150 employees and administrators, and agreed to allow Christmas trees in public areas as long as the spaces included Kwanzaa and Hanukkah decorations, as well.  Decorations were not to be purchased with government funds.

The Center posted a “Happy Holidays” memo on its webpage last Tuesday. The opening statement read like an invitation to all religious groups: “May your organization or church group visit VA hospitals over the holiday season to sing Christmas carols for our veterans? Sure. What about the Jewish, Muslim, and other faiths? You are welcome. May you donate cards and gifts if they have a religious message? Of course.”

The memo said the Department of Veterans Affairs desires to protect the First Amendment freedoms of an “increasingly diverse” nation, including its citizens’ expanding religious affiliations and belief systems.

Also, on Tuesday, according to its website, the Alliance Defending Freedom sent a letter to the medical center, taking issue with the Christmas memo that said employees were only “permitted to engage in private religious expression in their personal work areas that are not regularly open to the public” in an effort to extend “a happy holiday season in a manner that is welcoming to all.” ADF contends that the wording of the memo leaves open the possibility that employees could be punished for Christmas decorations or “merry Christmas” greetings to veterans except in personal workstations that are out of public view.

The letter explains that, “It is a fundamental principle of constitutional law that government officials may not censor speech simply because the speech is religious or contains a religious perspective…In Tucker v. State of California Department of Education, for example, the federal court struck down as unconstitutional a policy that prohibited government employees from displaying any religious artifacts, tracts, or materials outside their offices or cubicles, and also prohibited any oral or written religious advocacy in the workplace.”  ADF also points out in its letter that the U.S. Supreme Court has noted that a Christmas tree is not a religious symbol.

2 - Pro-life groups respond after Planned Parenthood shooting, officer/pastor loses life

Pro-life groups are denouncing the violent incident at a Planned Parenthood office in Colorado Springs last Friday.  LifeNews.com reports that the suspect, 57-year-old Robert Lewis Dear appears to have no association with the pro-life movement and those who know him say he is an awkward man who never discussed religion or abortion. The profile they paint is far from a caricature of a pro-life activist who has an issue with the Planned Parenthood abortion business and more of a loner or renegade who may have a mental health issue or issues and, at a minimum, is a bit “off.”

Three people died in the rampage, including police officer Garrett Swasey.  NBC.com reports that he was a six-year veteran of the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs police force and an elder at Hope Chapel, as well as an accomplished former U.S. figure skater.  The story quotes a statement from his family, which said that: "His greatest joys were his family, his church, and his profession," adding, "Helping others brought him deep satisfaction and being a police officer was a part of him."

The LifeNews story indicates that Dear has a previous arrest record with arrests for animal cruelty and as a “peeping Tom,” according to BuzzFeed. Also, the story states that The Blaze reports that Dear also has domestic violence charges and a DUI charge on his record.

LifeNews quoted from a variety of pro-life leaders, including David Daleiden, who produced the shocking videos showing Planned Parenthood abortion clinics selling aborted babies and their body parts. He is quoted as saying: “The Center for Medical Progress does not support vigilante violence against abortion providers. There are people at Planned Parenthood who I still consider friends and my thoughts and prayers are with them at this time for no one to be injured.”

National Right to Life, in condemning the shooting, said: "...The pro-life movement works to protect the right to life and increase respect for human life. The unlawful use of violence is directly contrary to that goal.”

Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life issued a statement saying: "As leaders in the pro-life movement, we call for calm and pray for a peaceful resolution of this situation." He added,"...nobody jump to conclusions regarding the connection between this violence and the controversy over abortion and Planned Parenthood, and we ask that people do not use this situation to inflame emotions on either side of the abortion issue."

A Brietbart report also said that a law enforcement official pointed to a comment made by Dear to the effect of “no more baby parts,” and made clear that Dear said other things as well. NBC News reported it this way: “Sources stressed that Dear said many things to law enforcement and the extent to which the ‘baby parts’ remark played into any decision to target the Planned Parenthood office was not yet clear.”

1 - Cases involving admitting privileges at hospitals in WI, MO

As the U.S. Supreme Court is preparing to consider whether or not a Texas law providing for regulations on abortion clinics, such as admitting privileges at a local hospital, is constitutional, a Columbia, Missouri Planned Parenthood clinic will no longer be offering abortions because a local hospital there has rescinded admitting privileges.

ChristianNews.net reports that Planned Parenthood of Columbia ceased providing medical abortions last Monday because the University of Missouri Health Care has decided to discontinue the privileges. Effective this Tuesday, December 1, abortionist Colleen McNicholas cannot legally provide abortifacients at the location. The hospital had voted in September to no longer offer the “refer and follow” privileges, which allowed Planned Parenthood to obtain permission from the state health department to offer medical abortions. Without those privileges, the center loses any authority to offer abortifacients to mothers.

Meanwhile, a Wisconsin pro-life law, according to ChristianNews.net, has been struck down by a Federal appeals court.  The website had reported that Gov. Scott Walker approved SB206 in July 2013, which called for increased health standards at abortion facilities, including a requirement that abortionists have admitting privileges at a local hospital.  Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union immediately filed a lawsuit against the state, and in March of this year, a Federal district judge declared that a woman’s desire to obtain an abortion “is substantially outweighed by the burden this requirement will have on women’s health outcomes due to restricted access to abortions in Wisconsin.”

That opinion was appealed to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, which upheld the decision 2-1 on Tuesday, according to ChristianNews.net. Judge Richard Posner, who was nominated to the bench by then-President Ronald Reagan, wrote for the majority, stating, “What makes no sense is to abridge the constitutional right to abortion on the basis of spurious contentions regarding women’s health — and the abridgment challenged in this case would actually endanger women’s health..."

The 3 - November 22, 2015

In this week's edition of The 3, how to respond Biblically to the Syrian refugee crisis in light of the Paris attacks has been a focus for a number of Christian leaders and organizations.  Also, the National Bible Bee finals were held this week in San Antonio.  And, it was announced this week that the U.S. Senate could be taking up a House-passed bill that would prevent taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood.

3 - Christians debate Syrian refugees, number of Christian refugees from Syria is small

There has arisen a debate within the Christian community about how best to deal with refugees from the nation of Syria.  While there are no doubt some Syrians who are escaping persecution at the hands of ISIS, there is a reasonable concern that terrorists could be coming into America in the wave of refugees that could be allowed into the country.

Based on this type of concern, the U.S. House passed a bill on Thursday that, according to TheHill.com, requires new screening requirements on refugees from Syria and Iraq before they can enter the United States. The bill passed by a veto-proof 289-137 margin and now goes on to the Senate.

Over half of the nation's governors have indicated they would not take Syrian refugees in their states, and Christian leaders on both sides of the issue have been speaking out.

And, who would you say would be the most oppressed group of the Syrians leaving that war-torn nation?  How about Christians fleeing the tangible threat from ISIS?

Well, ChristianityToday.com reports that roughly 18 percent of Syria’s estimated 4 million refugees are Christians. The publication asks the question, "So why have only less than 3 percent of the 2,184 Syrian refugees resettled in the United States from 2011 until now been Christians?"

Faith McDonnell of the Institute on Religion and Democracy is quoted - she wrote for The Stream that American Christians are “curious, and somewhat concerned, that there appear to be no Christian refugees in sight.” She faults the Obama Administration.  Also, according to the article, Nina Shea of the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom says that Christian refugees need special treatment because the United Nations refugee processing system “disproportionately excludes them,” according to a piece she wrote at the National Review website.

Matthew Soerens, US director of church mobilization for World Relief, The humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), said that Syrian Christians perhaps had waited longer to seek resettlement because they felt protected by the Assad regime.  He also pointed out Christian refugees tend to be wealthier, so they seek escaping through a tourist visa, then applying for asylum.

Two high-profile Southern Baptist leaders are among those speaking out on the issue.  Baptist Press quotes Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Church in Dallas, who is quoted as saying, "there's a lot of confusion among Christians on the right response to Syrian refugees because many people do not understand that while we as Christians have one responsibility individually, government has another responsibility."

Individuals, Jeffress said, must "show compassion for these refugees," support relief organizations and call on government to combat the terrorist group ISIS. "But government has another responsibility, and that is to secure our borders."

Russell Moore, president of Southern Baptists' Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, called Christians "to remember human dignity" without neglecting appropriate border security. In written comments, he told Baptist Press that, "The screening of refugees is a crucial aspect of national security, and we should insist on it," adding, "At the same time, evangelicals should be the ones calling the rest of the world to remember human dignity and the image of God, especially for those fleeing murderous Islamic radical jihadis. We should remember the history of the 20th century, of Jewish refugees from the Holocaust and refuseniks from the Soviet Union who were largely ignored by the world community."

2 - National Bible Bee finals take place in San Antonio

The National Bible Bee competition took place this past week in San Antonio, as the 360 highest-scoring Bible Bee contestants from across the nation demonstrated Scripture knowledge and memorization, according to the National Bible Bee website. The top winners were to be awarded more than $270,000, every contestant was scheduled to be encouraged and recognized for their Biblical excellence.

This year's winners were:

In the Primary division (7-10 years old): 1st Place/Jediael Chintha of Hanover Park, IL; 2nd/Seth Ross of Mission Viejo, CA; 3rd/Emma Fernandez of Haslet, TX

In the Junior division (ages 11-14): 1st Place/Taylor Bontrager of Kalona, IA; 2nd/Grace Wanliss of Fountain Inn, SC; 3rd/Everett Chew of La Palma, CA

In the Senior category (15-18 years old): 1st/Delie Moss of Bells, TN; 2nd/Bethany Xiques of Miami Springs, FL; 3rd/Emily Hamilton of Tehachapi, CA.

The Bible Bee is sponsored by the Shelby Kennedy Foundation, a nonprofit ministry established to encourage children and youth to grow in Christ through study of the Bible and Scripture memorization. Shelby died of cancer in 2005 at the age of 23.

1 - Pro-life bill proposed in Senate

Senate Republican leaders this week announced their intention to bring a bill to the floor of the U.S. Senate that would prevent taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood, and it is structured in such a way that it only needs 51 votes to pass, not the 60-vote filibuster-proof majority that we have seen in past fights on that and other issues.

LifeNews.com reports that:

...the Senate will vote on a reconciliation bill the House passed at the end of October that will use the reconciliation process to de-fund the abortion company caught selling the body parts of aborted babies. There had been question about whether the Planned Parenthood de-funding provisions could be included in the bill, but the Senate parliamentarian has indicated they can remain.

This will be the third attempt since the summer in which Senate lawmakers have attempted to defund the nation's largest abortion provider.

LifeNews.com reports that in August, Republicans were unable to secure 60 votes on a bill that would accomplish a vote on that issue, only amassing 53 votes to shut off debate.  In September, another vote was taken, and the Senate voted 52-47 against cutting off debate.

Can the Republicans gather the now-51 votes needed to pass this bill and deliver it to the President? There are three Republican senators, who LifeNews.com reports have balked at defunding Planned Parenthood, are Susan Collins of Maine, Mark Kirk of Illinois, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Take those 3 votes away, and you still have 52 potential Republican votes - enough for passage.

However, three pro-life Republicans have indicated they may vote against the bill cause they don't think it goes far enough in repealing Obamacare. Two of them are Presidential candidates: Ted Cruz of Texas and Marco Rubio of Florida. The other is Mike Lee of Utah. All three have said they want the reconciliation bill to repeal Obamacare in its entirety rather than repealing portions of it, so they may oppose the bill.

So, if these three hold to their positions, that brings the number to 49.  So, in order to pass the bill, 2 Democrats or 2 more Republicans would have to vote in favor of the bill, or one of lawmaker of each party would have to change the presumed position.

As a WORLD Magazine article points out:

The opposition aligns Cruz, Lee, and Rubio with Heritage Action, the lobbying partner of the Heritage Foundation, but at odds with the many other conservative groups that back the bill, including Americans for Tax Reform, Americans for Prosperity, and the Family Research Council. Supporters say it achieves their most important goals.

Susan B. Anthony List and National Right to Life are two pro-life groups who support the bill.

Tony Perkins of Family Research Council is quoted as saying: "The reconciliation bill strikes a serious blow to Obamacare," adding, "This alleviates federal coercion of Americans who are forced to purchase health insurance they may object to because it contains elective abortion coverage and removes the threat of punishing fines on employers who decline to violate their deeply held beliefs."

The 3 - November 15, 2015

This week on The 3, my week-in-review feature, I devote some attention to religious content relative to the horrific attacks in Paris, where over a hundred perished and many more were injured.  Also, this past week, the U.S. Supreme Court announced it would take up 2 provisions of a Texas pro-life bill.  And, a Tennessee school district has decided to keep the Gideons from making Bibles available in its schools.

3 - TN school district puts a halt to Bible distribution

In Bledsoe County, Tennessee, free Bibles have been made available to students in the schools there by the Sequatchie Valley Camp of Gideons, but will not be made available on school property in the county any longer, according to a report from WRCB Television that was published online this week.

This comes as the result of a complaint made to the school system.  The superintendent, Jennifer Terry, in a statement, said: "Bledsoe County Schools do not allow the distribution of religious materials from any religious groups. The distribution of religious materials in a public school is in violation of constitutional provisions and well established federal and state laws and precedence." 

Charlie Queen, the chaplain for the local Gideons group, told the television station: "We simply go in and we lay it on the table. We tell them what it is and who we are. If they want one, they freely take one," adding, "We do not hand it to them, they take it freely and voluntarily."

It was reported that community members plan to protest this decision at the next school board meeting. School leaders tell WRCB they do have a Bible History course that includes a textbook. Students are allowed to Bring their personal bible to school should they wish.

By the way, earlier this year, the Tennessee House of Representatives passed a bill recognizing the Bible as the official book of the state - that bill died in the Senate, according to The Tennessean. Also, a bill has been proposed to keep religious "doctrine" from being taught in classrooms other than 10th, 11th and 12th grades.   The Chattanooga Times-Free Press said that the bill from Rep. Sheila Butt comes on the heels of complaints from some parents in several communities as to what their children are learning in middle school about Islam.

2 - Supreme Court will review Texas abortion clinic regulations

The pro-life bill in Texas, House Bill 2, contains a provision that requires abortion facilities to meet the same health and safety standards as ambulatory surgical centers, and a provision that protects women against cut-and-run abortionists by requiring abortionists to have admitting privileges at a local hospital in the event a woman must seek hospital care due to post-abortion complications, according to a statement on the Alliance Defending Freedom website.  And, the bill is going to the U.S. Supreme Court.

ADF reported that the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld those provisions after they were challenged.  This week, the U.S. Supreme Court announced that it would hear the appeal of that decision.  ADF Senior Counsel Steven Aden is quoted as saying: "Texans should have full freedom to prioritize women’s health and safety over the bottom line of abortionists. The 5th Circuit was on firm ground to uphold this law, and therefore, the Supreme Court should affirm that decision. The law’s requirements are common-sense protections that ensure the maximum amount of safety for women. Abortionists should not be exempt from medical requirements that everyone else is required to follow."

1 - Paris attacks: religious motivation, Islamic State takes credit

An unthinkable series of events transpired on Friday in Paris, with coordinated attacks in 3 different locations with around 130 people losing their lives.   WORLD reports over 300 people were injured. Eight attackers had lost their lives.

Most of the casualties were at the Bataclan concert hall, with nearly 90 people dying there.

In response, President Francois Hollande ordered security checks at the French border and raised the country’s security alert system to its highest level. He also declared three days of national mourning for the victims.

And, there are numerous religious connections here.  For one thing, militant Islamic group ISIS has claimed responsibility, which arouses concerns about the spread of radical Islam outside the Middle East.  Religious leaders have voiced their sympathy - and outrage.

On his Facebook page, Franklin Graham spoke forthrightly about the religious motivation of the attacks, writing:  

This attack was done in the name of Allah, the god of Islam. Eye witness reports say that the murderers yelled, “Allahu Akbar” before committing their atrocities. Now we know, in their own words, that the Islamic State has claimed the attack on Paris describing the city as “the carrier of the banner of the Cross in Europe.” In this case terrorism does have a religion – its name is Islam and its god is Allah.

He added, "Islam is at war with us–we’ve witnessed its evil face firsthand over and over. And today the world wakes up to their threats: 'This attack is the first of the storm and a warning.' Reports say they have also posted: 'The American blood is best - And we will take it soon.'"

In closing, Graham wrote: "As we continue to pray for the people of France we also need to pray for wisdom for the world’s leaders and that Islam will be stopped in its tracks."  The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has sent Rapid Response Team chaplains to Paris.

The Catholic News Agency reported on an interview of Pope Francis by TV2000.  The pontiff said that the acts of terrorism which took place in Paris Friday night are the latest part in what he has called a “piecemeal World War III,” describing the attacks as “inhuman.”

A post on the Facebook page of Igniting a Nation, headed by a recent guest on my radio program, Messianic Rabbi, Eric Walker, says:

As the world looks at the events of the Paris attacks we are reminded that France has reached the tipping point of 8% Muslim. With the wide open borders of the EU, we have now seen how a small band of terrorists can mobilize and strike. America's borders are compromised and what happened there has and will continue to happen here. The influx of Syrian refugees, added to the 100,000 Muslims entering America annually, will further compromise our ability to predict and respond. The dividing lines of the world are being drawn and persecution of those labeled as infidels is on the rise.

He closed by saying, "We must use this time to share the Gospel and prepare ourselves spiritually for the battle that is coming."

The 3 - November 8, 2015

In this week's edition of my week-in-review feature, The 3, I report on an encouraging meeting in Mississippi on race relations featuring the heads of two large Baptist denominations.  Also, the U.S. Supreme Court has announced it will review the government's contraception mandate again, this time regarding non-profit organizations.  And, there were elections held this past Tuesday, with some notable pro-family victories that emerged.

3 - Baptist leaders from black and white backgrounds meet in Mississippi

This past Wednesday in Jackson, Mississippi, there was an important meeting concerning the topic of race relations.  A Religion News Service preview reported that leaders of the two largest Baptist denominations, one mostly white and the other predominantly black, were scheduled to meet with pastors from both groups for what was termed a "Conversation on Race in America."

The event was timed ahead of an annual luncheon of Mission Mississippi, a Christian organization that has worked for more than two decades to address racism, which its leaders believe hinders evangelism.

Jerry Young, president of the National Baptist Convention, USA, and Ronnie Floyd, president of the Southern Baptist Convention addressed the gathering, and Baptist Press featured a report.

Floyd declared: "I believe that the issue of racism is from Satan and the demonic forces of hell," adding, "Racism is completely opposite from the message of Jesus Christ; it is completely opposite of the message of love, it is completely opposite of the message of dignity, value and the sanctity of human life. It is completely opposite of the message of reconciliation."  In his comments, Floyd presented the church as one body of Christ, descended from one man and comprising one race.

Young said that, "I believe that it is God's providence that has brought us here today...I am absolutely prayerful that when we leave this place, that those of us who are here will have decided that we're going to spearhead a movement in this country that is relative primarily to the church, that we will no longer be satisfied to be persons who will simply declare the Gospel with our lips, but we're going to demonstrate it with our lives."

The article stated that Mission Mississippi President Neddie Winters, joined Floyd and Young in calling the church to action.  He is quoted as saying: "It is time for the Christian community, for the church of Jesus Christ, to do what it professes to do," adding, "Stand, and live, and act like Christians, and be the salt and light for our society. Too long have we been silent on this issue as a church, and as a community."

2 - Supreme Court announces it will hear contraception mandate cases involving non-profits

The U.S. Supreme Court made the announcement Friday that it would hear seven lawsuits that have been filed by non-profit organizations challenging the mandate from the Department of Health and Human Services requiring employers to provide free contraception and abortion-inducing drugs in their health care plans.

WORLD reported on the announcement, saying that the seven cases before the high court would include the Little Sisters of the Poor, Catholic dioceses, Priests for Life, GuideStone Financial Resources, and religious colleges such as Houston Baptist University, Geneva College, and the Catholic University of America.

The case is scheduled to be heard in March.

The WORLD article highlighted that the federal government has a special regulation for nonprofits who object to the mandate on religious grounds.  What happens is that the nonprofit signs a form for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), stating its objection and naming its insurance provider. Then HHS arranges coverage of the objectionable drugs for the nonprofits’ employees through the insurer or a third party.  But, the organization still must sign on to the arrangement. Churches are fully exempt from the mandate.


1 - Pro-family victory in KY Governor's race, Houston gay rights ordinance defeat, pot turned back in OH

In some areas of our nation, the first Tuesday of November, which is the traditional day set nationally for elections, was actually that - Election Day.  Next November, Americans will select a President on that day.

But, this year, voters in Kentucky and Mississippi went to the polls to select governors, Houston residents voted on a mayor, as well as controversial ordinance, and Ohio residents voted on greater availability for pot sales.

In Kentucky, Republican Matt Bevin was the winner in the governor's race there.  As the Family Research Council's Washington Update stated:

Nowhere was the potency of social issues more evident than in the Kentucky governor’s race, where a trailing Matt Bevin (R) pulled off a surprise upset over Democrat Jack Conway, who paid mightily for refusing to defend the state’s marriage amendment as attorney general last year. Bevin, who was down in the polls as recently as last week, surged ahead on Tuesday’s ballots after making a point to highlight social issues. In Kentucky, home to the Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis controversy, the turning point for Bevin came when he made an intentional effort to defend the conscience rights of government officials.

FRC also reported on the Houston ordinance and the marijuana vote in Ohio.  Regarding Ohio, the Update said that "... to the surprise of most Buckeyes, a referendum to legalize recreational and medical marijuana failed miserably. By a 2-1 margin, Ohioans turned out to drub the pro-pot crowd, which spent upwards of $25 million on advertising. In the words of conservative Curt Steiner, 'Never underestimate the wisdom of Ohio voters' -- or any voters with the courage and the facts to make a difference."

Christianity Today reported that the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance, or HERO, was defeated by a 3-2 margin. The ordinance would have extended protections for LGBT residents among other groups.

It said that the bill was "branded the 'bathroom bill' by opponents who feared accommodation of transgender individuals would give men, including sexual predators, the right to use women’s restrooms in public."  The report continued:

After Mayor Annise Parker's failed attempt to subpoena sermons by pastors who attempted a petition drive to dismiss HERO, the Texas Supreme Court ordered that the ordinance be repealed or put to a popular vote.

Conservative Christian congregations in America's fourth-largest city rallied and prayed against HERO as a violation of their beliefs on gender identity.

“Biology and the Bible show us that there’s a difference between men and women,"said Gregg Matte, pastor of Houston’s First Baptist Church. "In order to keep men out of women’s locker rooms, I want to encourage you to vote ‘no’ to Proposition 1 (HERO).”

And, according to the article, Ed Young, pastor of Second Baptist Church, reportedly told his congregation, “It has been reported that we discriminate,” adding, “If we open up our facilities so that someone can choose … those of us who believe that men should use men’s facilities and women’s facilities, we will be discriminated against.”

Back to the FRC website, which stated:

“Once again, big business wants its freedom to operate according to its values, but wants to deny that freedom to others,” Ryan Anderson pointed out. As part of Proposition 1, local businesses would have been punished for holding natural views on sexuality -- when in reality, they should have the same right to embrace those beliefs as corporate America does not to! Instead, companies are turning on their own and demanding conformity on an issue the people will decide with their own dollars. If consumers don’t like what a Houston employer stands for, they can shop elsewhere! That’s the beauty of the free market.

(By the way, as FRC points out and as has been reported by other news outlets, supporters outspent opponents 3-1, contrary to what the CT story said.)

The 3 - November 1, 2015

In this week's edition of my week-in-review feature, The 3, I shine the spotlight on an incident in a Texas school district, which has apologized for an assignment in which the affirmation of God's existence was counted as incorrect.  Also, the religious expression of a football coach in Washington state continues to be restricted.  And, some news out of China, where all families will be allowed to have two children, in an improvement over the one-child policy that has been in effect there.

3 - Texas school district apologizes for assignment asking students to deny God

In Katy, Texas, a seventh-grader was placed in a rather odd position recently.  According to a piece on the Religion News Service website, Jordan Wooley said she answered a question on an assignment, saying that the phrase, “there is a God," was either fact or opinion. She contended that her reading teacher said both her answers were wrong and that she had to admit God wasn’t real.

Jordan is quoted as saying, “It was really confusing to me at first because I didn’t really know what to do, so the first thing I did was tell my mom.” Her mother, Chantel Wooley, said, “That a kid was literally graded against her faith in God in a classroom."

According to the RNS piece, the school district apologized, and it issued a statement on Tuesday, saying, in part, that the assignment was intended to encourage critical thinking and dialogue and not question any student’s religious beliefs. But the statement also said, "Still this does not excuse the fact that this ungraded activity was ill-conceived and because of that, its intent had been misconstrued."  The school district said the teacher who came up with the assignment is distraught and that it’s crucial not to vilify the teacher without knowing her and her Christian faith.

2 - Football coach in Washington state placed on leave after postgame prayers

The unfortunate series of events concerning Bremerton, Washington, assistant varsity football coach Joe Kennedy continued this week.  On Wednesday, the school district issued a four-page letter, according to ChristianNews.net, that announced that the coach, who had a practice of praying on the 50-yard ilne following games, had been placed on paid leave. The letter stated, in part, that, “Kennedy’s conduct poses a genuine risk that the district will be liable for violating the federal and state constitutional rights of students or others,” and, “For this reason, Kennedy will not be allowed to further violate the district’s directives.”

The story reported that Superintendent Aaron Leavell acknowledged that “[e]ach activity has been voluntary” and that Kennedy has not “actively encouraged or required participation,” but he asserted that the practices were still unconstitutional. He laid out rules so that the district would decrease its chances of a lawsuit, stating that while Kennedy may engage in religious activity, “students may not be allowed to join such activity.”

Kennedy agreed to discontinue locker room prayer, but his attorneys with the Texas-based Liberty Institute stated that he has done nothing wrong in seeking to pray by himself at the conclusion of each game. The attorneys said there is neither any constitutional violation in permitting students to join.

And, this week, as reported by AL.com, the directors of the film, Woodlawn, Jon and Andy Erwin, released a video showing Kennedy talking about his experiences, as well as his thoughts about the movie, which depicts the story of future Miami Dolphin Tony Nathan.

Kennedy is shown praying with fans in the stands after his team's Thursday night game, and said, "You put four years of your life into the kids and you miss it because of having to stand up for your faith." He continued: "Has it been worth it? Absolutely. I tell my kids you never quit. You stand up for what you believe in," adding, "It's about the rights of every single person, no matter what their faith is."

The film depicts a Christian revival that took place at a high school in the midst of racial turmoil in Birmingham in the 1970's.  The film shows the coach of the team being baptized and facing opposition because of his desire to express his faith publicly. Box Office Mojo shows that the film has now exceeded $10 million dollars.  This past weekend was its third in release.

The series of events has even attracted attention of Presidential candidates, according to the Seattle Times, which reported that Dr. Ben Carson and Donald Trump had both tweeted out support for the coach.

1 - China changes its "one-child" policy

There is apparently some news out of China that represents an improvement in the area of life. The nation's policy of allowing urban families to have only one child and for rural families to have two children is coming to a close, according to a report on the ChristianHeadlines.com website, which quotes from LifeNews.com, which cites a report from China’s official news service. The new policy allows two children per family.

Rep. Chris Smith, a pro-life member of Congress, is quoted as saying: “In 1980 the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party sent an open letter to party members setting forth its plan to embark on a national one-child policy." The Congressman added, “What came out of that letter? A cruel and inhumane policy, a human rights violation that is, in scope and seriousness, the worst human rights abuse in the world today. No other government policy anywhere else in the world systematically punishes, abuses, and violates women so grossly as this.”  Smith also said, "The policy required women to obtain a birth permit before becoming pregnant and all women are monitored by “crudely invasive physical check-ups.”

Life News reports that China aborts more than 13 million babies each year.   

The 3 - October 25, 2015

On this week's edition of The 3, there is violence against churches taking place in at least two areas of the world - in the St. Louis area, where a series of church fires have been set.  Also, in Indonesia, local authorities have begun to destroy churches in the wake of violence brought about by Muslim extremists in that region.  And, there are several states where there has been activity to defund Planned Parenthood.

3 - Church fires occurring in St. Louis area

A pre-dawn fire in the St. Louis area early Thursday has become the seventh fire at a church within the last few weeks.  According to CNN, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Chief Sam Dotson told religious and civic leaders on Wednesday, referring to six previous fires: "Whoever this person is, they've picked a fight they can't win."

The latest was at the Shrine of St. Joseph. The previous six were at predominately African-American church buildings, this latest was at a mostly white church in a majority African-American neighborhood.

At the Wednesday meeting, Rev. David Triggs, whose New Life Missionary Baptist Church was among those targeted, said: "We are sending a message ... that you can burn down the building, but you cannot break our body," adding, "And we will not lose our voice."

The police chief told reporters early Thursday that whoever set the St. Joseph fire, "did some research, scouted the area out and knew that they could get in and get out without possibly being seen."  He did point to the absence of surveillance cameras.

The motive is unclear, although some have suggested a racial motivation.  All of the fires were close to the city of Ferguson.  Dotson said at the Wednesday church service that, whatever the true motivation, "it's impossible to ignore that this kind of crime aggravates old wounds, old wounds that were never properly or fully healed."

He added, "When someone attacks places of worship in our community, they attack the whole concept of civil society, aiming violence precisely at the places where people are at their most decent and their most peaceful." 

Franklin Graham wrote on his Facebook page, in part, to, "Pray for the churches in this area, pray that God would bring healing in these communities, and pray that law enforcement will be able to track down and put a stop to whoever is responsible for this."  Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplains had ministered in the Ferguson area during a previous time of unrest.

2 - Texas ends Planned Parenthood funding, Louisiana loses court battle

On Monday, October 19, the state of Texas announced that it would no longer fund Planned Parenthood affiliates through its Medicaid program.  According to the Texas Governor's website, referenced by the Alliance Defending Freedom:

Governor Greg Abbott announced his LIFE Initiative to provide greater protections for children in the womb and prevent the sale of baby body parts. Today, the Office of Inspector General at Texas Health and Human Services Commission issued a letter ending Medicaid participation for Planned Parenthood affiliates in the State of Texas based on evidence of Medicaid program violations. The cancellation, consistent with Governor Abbott’s LIFE initiative, calls for funding to Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers out of taxpayer money to be eliminated completely, both at the State and local levels.

Kellie Fiedorek of ADF is quoted as saying:

“Texas is right to recognize that taxpayer money should go to fund local community health centers, not to subsidize a scandal-ridden, billion-dollar abortion business. Texans shouldn’t be forced to give their money to Planned Parenthood, which was caught in authenticated undercover videos trafficking aborted babies’ body parts and has a long track record of abusive and potentially fraudulent billing practices and repeated failures to report the sexual abuse of girls. That tax money should be redirected to trusted health care providers, not given to the abortion industry.”

Also, according to ADF, on Wednesday, the Ohio Senate passed a bill that requires the state Department of Health to ensure certain state and federal funds are not used to perform or promote abortions.

And, WORLD reports that a U.S. District Judge ruled last Monday morning that Louisiana must provide Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood for another 14 days while the lawsuit over the order works its way through the courts. Last Monday was the day that Governor Jindal's executive order blocking Medicaid funding going to Planned Parenthood was set to go into effect.  

The WORLD piece states that "Four states are facing lawsuits following decisions to block the distribution of federal Medicaid funds to local Planned Parenthood affiliates. So far, courts have required Louisiana, Arkansas, and Utah to continue funding the abortion provider to some degree." WORLD also reported on Governor Abbott's decision in Texas.  Alabama is one of the states facing a lawsuit over taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood.

1 - Churches torn down in Indonesia

According to a report on the ChristianHeadlines.com website, authorities in the Aceh region of Indonesia have started to tear down churches following recent religious violence that left at least one person dead and forced thousands of Christians to flee.  Clashes had broken out after Islamic hardliners burned down a church in Aceh Singkil on October 13.  Local church leader Erde Berutu said that “around 8,000” fled into the bordering province of Northern Sumatra.

Muslim residents had demanded that unlicensed churches in the area be demolished, citing a lack of building permits, but religious and political figures, including Christians, had agreed at a meeting on the 12th. to close the houses of worship. 

The article states that the agreement to demolish unregistered churches was partly driven by a ministerial decree in 2006 instructing worship houses to obtain a religious building license. Such a license is known to contain stringent requirements. It quotes a source who told World Watch Monitor that, "But even after all requirements are met, many churches are still prevented from getting the permit."

The Jakarta Post reported that last Monday, the Acehnese government started the demolition of 10 churches in Aceh Singkil regency, Aceh. Regent Safriadi claimed that an earlier agreement had been struck between Christians and Muslims regarding the demolition of the 10 churches. 13 others would be assisted with their permits.  AsiaNews.it reports that this province is the only one in Indonesia where a form of Sharia law is practiced.

The 3 - October 18, 2015

In my week-in-review feature, The 3, I identify three stories of relevance to the Christian community. This week, a high school football coach in Washington state made headlines when he announced his intention to defy a school district prohibition on a weekly practice of walking to the 50-yard-line to pray, and this past Friday night, he followed through.  Also, a Kentucky city is under fire because of a cross on the top of a water tower there.  And, the news emerged this week of the death of an evangelist in eastern Uganda, who was involved in sponsoring debates with Muslims in the region.

3 - Coach defies school district, prays at midfield after game

After the Bremerton High School football game in Washington state on Friday night, assistant coach Joe Kennedy continued the practice in which he has engaged for years, walking to the 50 yard line and saying a prayer.  The Daily Mail reported on the postgame event.

The report said that the coach defied the Bremerton School District, which demanded he stop leading post-football game prayers, and went to the 50-yard line to say a 'private, post-game prayer' on Friday.  To his surprise, he was joined by some members from his Bremerton High School football team, players from the opposing team and a group of supporters during the homecoming game as a sign of solidarity.

The report quoted from the Seattle Times, which quoted the coach's prayer: "Lord, I thank you for these kids and the blessing you’ve given me with them. We believe in the game, we believe in competition and we can come into it as rivals and leave as brothers." 

Check out this quote from the district's Superintendent on the district's website: "Like every public school district in the nation, our teaching and coaching staff is not allowed to include religious expression, including prayer, in talks with students while on duty for the District."  To me, that sounds like a denial of "free exercise" of religion, as guaranteed by the First Amendment.

The Daily Mail article reports that Hiram Sasser of the Liberty Institute said the coach's prayers were legal, according to KIRO-TV.   He said, "As long as the kids understand that he's doing that in his individual and private capacity, which is what he's doing, it's perfectly constitutional and not only that, it's a violation of the constitution to tell him he's not allowed to pray."

2 - Kentucky city resists effort to remove cross from water tower

In Wilmore, Kentucky, home of Asbury University, there is a water tower that has a cross situated at the top of it.  The Freedom From Religion Foundation is attempting to force city officials to remove the cross, even though there is a 40-year-old agreement that keeps the cross on the tower, which was built by Asbury University and transferred to the city in 1968, according a report on the WORLD website.

Mayor Harold Rainwater is quoted as saying (from CBN News): “There’s nothing that’s drawn our town together more than the possibility of losing this cross,” adding, “I one hundred percent support keeping it there. We won’t take it down unless we’re forced to take it down.”

Sheila Nighy, a Wilmore resident, is creating crosses for neighbors to post in their yards in protest. She was making nearly 400 crosses for a rally on Saturday to support the water tower cross. She's quoted as saying: “We saw the letter and I said, ‘Take down our cross? We’ll put up more!’”

1 - Ugandan evangelist's body found following Muslim-Christian debate

It was announced this week that the body of an evangelist in eastern Uganda was found following a heated Christian-Muslim debate. According to a Morning Star News report on the Baptist Press website, the body of 59-year-old Samson Nfunyeku was found close to his home in Kalampete village in Kibuku District early on September 23, after the latest in a series of organized debates with Islamic scholars at Tirinyi Trading Center ended prematurely due to flaring tempers the previous night.

That debate, as well as a previous one several months ago, were sponsored by Nfunyeku's Church of Uganda and other churches. Muslim leaders had threatened him and warned him to hold no more debates, a source said.

One of the participants, a former Islamic teacher, who had become a Christian, said, "Four months ago Samson and others had a very hot debate at Tirinyi Trading Center with the Muslim scholars that ended on a bad note, and they gave warning that such debates were not good for the Muslims." Nevertheless, on September 22, a sparsely-attended debate was conducted.

The report says that converts from Islam to Christianity in eastern Uganda have recently experienced regular instances of persecution.

The 3 - October 11, 2015

Welcome to another edition of my week-in-review feature, The 3, highlighting three news stories of relevance to Christians.  One of those stories involves another series of protests held across the nation and in other countries at Planned Parenthood facilities.  Also, this week, students were encouraged to bring their Bibles to school.  And, it appears that this year's edition of the "War on Christmas," has begun, with news of school districts under siege by a group devoted to removing religious expression from public life.

3 - Protests held at Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide

Another large-scale protest was expected this past Saturday at Planned Parenthood clinics across the nation and in other nations.  Breitbart.com reports that thousands were expected to "protest the selling of body parts from aborted babies, as revealed in recent videos, and to demand the elimination of taxpayer funding from the abortion business."

A coalition of national and state pro-life groups, #ProtestPP, had scheduled a second protest since the release of the videos by Center for Medical Progress (CMP), which is headed by David Daleiden, scheduled to speak at the #ProtestPP event in Orange, California.

Protests were planned in all 50 states and several international locations, including Canada, England, and Ireland.

In August, the first protest drew over 78,000 pro-life activists to demonstrate near Planned Parenthood facilities.
The website, ProtestPP.com, states:

The primary sponsors of #ProtestPP are Citizens for a Pro-Life Society, Created Equal and the Pro-Life Action League.

These three national activist organizations are joined by over sixty state and national pro-life groups committed to exposing the truth about Planned Parenthood and mobilizing the response of pro-life Americans to the baby parts scandal.

2 - Students encouraged to bring Bibles to school

The Facebook page for Bring Your Bible to School Day stated:

Still praising God for 140,000+ students who had the courage to celebrate religious freedom and share God's love with friends!

The Blaze featured a story about the effort, organized by Focus on the Family. It reports that President Jim Daly said that the annual effort was launched in 2014 to help young people unashamedly share their faith. He is quoted as saying: “I think that there’s been so much intimidation in the culture toward people of faith — and particularly Christians,” adding that Focus thought “this would be a good level-headed way to exercise a right that’s there.”

In the article, Daly answered critics of the effort, saying that he was somewhat perplexed by those individuals who were specifically infuriated over the effort to encourage children to bring their Bibles to school.  He said, "Why do we need to fear students expressing their faith or expressing their interest in the Bible? The Bible’s been with us,” adding, “Originally, the education system used the Bible as a book to teach children to read and write and for moral guidance.”

He said the effort was voluntary and student-led. He said, "Why would that be harmful? This is what America’s about...In the end, when we have shootings and all the others things occurring in schools today, wouldn’t it be nice to provide moral insights about life?” He continued, “We’re not thinking clearly as adults in this culture.”


1 - "War on Christmas" has early volleys

Just for the record, I'm not a fan of the phrase, "War on Christmas," but in the absence of some other descriptor, I will use it, and you can know of what I speak and write.  The WOC describes the attempt by some to eliminate or limit the mention of Christmas in our society, in either a state-sponsored setting or in a private-business setting.

It's even become a campaign issue, as Republican candidate Donald Trump said at the Values Voter Summit, according to Christian Today: "The word 'Christmas.' I love Christmas. I love Christmas. You go to stores, you don't see the word 'Christmas.' It says 'Happy Holidays' all over. I say, 'Where's Christmas?'." He said, "I want to see 'Merry Christmas.' Remember the expression 'Merry Christmas'? You don't see it anymore. You're going to see it if I get elected, I can tell you right now."

I'm not sure what the Trump plan is for increasing the visibility of "Merry Christmas" in the corporate sector.

In Indiana, though, it seems that the Freedom from Religion Foundation wants to remove Baby Jesus from a Christmas play.  As Todd Starnes of Fox News reports, this past Wednesday, the FFRF filed a federal lawsuit against Concord Community Schools in Elkhart, IN on behalf of an unnamed student who happens to be a performer in the district’s Christmas Spectacular.

The FFRF is demanding an injunction that would forbid the school from “presenting the portion of the Christmas Spectacular with the live Nativity Scene and the telling of the story of the birth of Jesus.”

The Concord School Board is apparently standing its ground. According to Starnes, Superintendent John Trout told the Elkhart Truth: “For more than 30 years, the Spectacular has been an important part of the Concord High School holiday experience,” adding, “It will continue to be so.”

Unfortunately, in Portland, OR, the outcome is not as merry for students there.  The Blaze reports that the FFRF had sent a letter complaining over the long-standing tradition of choir groups at Lane Middle School and Grant, Wilson, Lincoln and Cleveland High Schools performing at the Grotto’s Christmas Festival of Lights, according to the Oregonian.

The annual event dubs itself “the largest Christmas choral festival in the world,” and is run by a Catholic shrine called the Grotto.   As a result of the complaints to the Portland Public Schools, officials banned the performances, which had reportedly gone on for decades.

The Blaze article said that the FFRF said two unnamed Portland families complained.  A district spokesperson said there had not been complaints before. She told KOIN-TV that it wouldn’t have been fiscally responsible for the district on its “very limited budget” to go to court over a case that officials could very well end up losing.