The 3 - June 25, 2017

In this latest edition of The 3, highlighting three relevant stories to the Christian community, there is activity from various courts.  In a Federal district court down south, a judge ordered the removal of a cross from a Pensacola park, enforcing a law he apparently doesn't agree with.  Also, there is new hope for the videographers that have been exposing Planned Parenthood's trafficking in body parts for aborted babies; a court ordered the majority of charges against them dropped.  Plus, a Federal appeals court has paved the way for a Mississippi religious freedom bill to go into effect.

3 - Federal judge says cross must come down, advocates for new religious establishment standard

A Federal court judge has ruled that a cross that has stood in various forms in Bayview Park in Pensacola for the last 75 years must be taken down within the next 30 days, according to a report on the Faithwire website.  The article says:

The decision to remove the 34-foot cross inside Bayview Park came after Senior U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson ruled that its presence on public property is unconstitutional, according to the Pensacola News Journal.

“The Bayview Cross can no longer stand as a permanent fixture on city-owned property,” the judge proclaimed, noting that he was well aware of the broad local support for keeping the cross in place. “The law is the law.”

The American Humanist Association and Freedom From Religion Foundation teamed up to take action against the cross.

But, the judge's ruling contained an interesting twist.  He said, "The law is the law," but indicated he'd like to see the law changed.  The Pensacola News Journal stated:

In his ruling, Vinson cited several legal scholars who have criticized the current state of federal case law on the Constitution's Establishment Clause.

"Count me among those who hope the Supreme Court will one day revisit and reconsider its Establishment Clause jurisprudence, but my duty is to enforce the law as it now stands," Vinson said.

The News Journal reported that the city is weighing its future options, including whether or not to appeal the ruling.  Florida Senator Marco Rubio tweeted out that he hoped the city would appeal.

2 - California court strikes down most charges against videographers exposing Planned Parenthood

The work of videographers David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt have exposed the activity of Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider, in selling the body parts of aborted babies.  And, the California Attorney General had brought 15 felony charges against the pair for what a piece on the National Review website says, "...recording what he deemed to be confidential communications."

On Wednesday, June 21, the San Francisco Superior Court "tossed out" 14 of the 15 charges brought against Daleiden and Merritt, of the Center for Medical Progress, by AG Xavier Bacerra.  The 15th charge, "conspiring to invade privacy," was brought against Merritt alone.  The National Review piece quotes from Life News: "The court ruled that counts 1-14 were legally insufficient. The state has the opportunity to amend if it can plead a more legally sufficient and specific complaint."

The National Review article says:

Aside from being a victory for the freedom of the press, this decision is another big win for the CMP journalists — who were cleared of criminal charges last year in Texas, as well — vindicating them against the frequent claim from pro-abortion activists that they engaged in illegal activity and duplicitous editing of footage to falsely incriminate Planned Parenthood.

Mat Staver of Liberty Counsel, which is defending Merritt, stated:

Sandra Merritt did nothing wrong. The complaint by the California Attorney General is unprecedented and frankly will threaten every journalist who provides valuable information to the public. This final count will also fall,

This is the same attorney general that recently announced that state employees would not longer travel to the states of Alabama, Kentucky, South Dakota, and Texas due to laws that he says discriminate against LGBT individuals, according to the website, Kentucky.com.  These laws are designed to protect the religious freedom of people of faith.

1 - Federal appeals court upholds new Mississippi religious freedom law

Last year, Mississippi lawmakers passed HB 1523, the Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act, which, according to the Alliance Defending Freedom website, "protects citizens, public servants, businesses, and religious institutions from government reprisal for operating publicly according to their belief that marriage is reserved for one man and one woman." Governor Phil Bryant had signed the bill in April of last year, but a federal court had blocked it from going into effect.

The ADF website related this news recently:

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruled unanimously on Thursday that those who filed suit to stop a state law protecting Mississippians against government discrimination haven’t shown they have been or will be harmed by the law.

That means the injunction that was blocking the law has been removed.  ADF Senior Counsel Kevin Theriot said that the court "did the right thing:"

“The sole purpose of this law is to ensure that Mississippians don’t live in fear of losing their careers or their businesses simply for affirming marriage as a husband-wife union. Those who filed suit have not and will not be harmed but want to restrict freedom and impose their beliefs on others by ensuring dissenters are left open to the government discrimination that has already occurred in states without protective laws like this one.”

The 3 - June 18, 2017

In this week's edition of The 3, highlighting three stories of relevance in the Christian community, I highlight another graduation controversy, this one involving a Pennsylvania high school senior whose message including faith statements was rejected by school officials.  Also, a pro-life Congressman suffered the most severe wounds in the recent shooting at a Congressional baseball practice, an event that led members of Congress from both parties to pray together.  And, the Southern Baptist Convention met in Phoenix this past week; a look at some major developments is coming up.

3 - Graduation controversy in PA

That series of weeks toward the end of a student's term in school can bring so much joy and anticipation of the future, but we have seen throughout the years that sometimes graduates have felt the heavy hand of school officials telling students what they can and cannot say, especially when it comes to religious statements.

There was a situation in Beaver, PA, involving senior Moriah Bridges, who wanted to offer thanks to God for her graduating class during her school's graduating ceremony, according to a piece by Todd Starnes on the Fox News website.

Moriah had submitted her planned remarks to the school district, which, according to Starnes, "notified the teenager that her prepared remarks were unlawful, unconstitutional, and therefore, impermissible."

Principal Steven Wellendorf, in a letter to the student, wrote: “The selected students may still address their class and indicate the things that they wish/hop for their class, but they may not do it in the style of a prayer and most certainly may not recite a prayer that excludes other religions (by ending ‘in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ” or “in the matchless name of Jesus...'"

Moriah is quoted as saying: "I was shocked that the school said my personal remarks broke the law and I was saddened that I could not draw upon my Christian identity to express my best wishes for my classmates on what should’ve been the happiest day of high school..."

Starnes spoke with Jeremy Dys, an attorney with First Liberty Institute, who said: "In short, school officials – in violation of the First Amendment – forced Moriah to censor her personal remarks during the closing exercise of her commencement ceremony merely because of the religious viewpoint of her remarks,” adding, "Because of Dr. Rowe’s instructions, Moriah was muzzled and restrained by school officials on the penultimate day of her high school career."  Dr. Carrie Rowe is the district's superintendent.

And, Starnes a "long-standing policy" of the U.S. Department of Education on free speech rights of students.  The policy reads: "Where students or other private graduation speakers are selected on the basis of genuinely neutral, evenhanded criteria and retain primary control over the content of their expression, however, that expression is not attributable to the school and therefore may not be restricted because of its religious (or anti-religious) content..."

2 - Members of Congress pray after shooting

There was a spiritual reaction to the tragic incident in Alexandria, Virginia, in which U.S. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise was critically injured.  According to a TIME Magazine story, Speaker Paul Ryan said, "We do not shed our humanity when we enter this chamber," adding, "For all the noise and all the fury, we are one family."

The story stated:

Republican Rep. Martha McSally said Republican and Democratic House members joined hands and prayed after learning of the shooting. "Holding hands and praying together, I haven’t seen a moment like that since I’ve been here," she said. "So perhaps this can serve, even though it was intended for evil, it can serve as a wake up call for all of us to think about how we’re vilifying and engaging with people who disagree with us."

Faithwire reported that: "Doctors say he was at 'immediate risk of death' when he made it to the hospital shortly after getting shot while practicing for a charity softball game..." The article quoted from CBS News, including this from Dr. Jack Sava, director of trauma at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, who said, in a briefing on the congressman’s condition, "When he arrived, he was in critical condition with an imminent risk of death...He will certainly be in the hospital for a considerable period of time, presumably weeks."  Sava stated that Scalise's condition had stabilized and that "an excellent recovery is a good possibility."  According to the report from CBS:

A single bullet traveled across Scalise’s pelvis when he was shot Wednesday, fracturing bones, injuring internal organs and causing severe bleeding, Sava said. He was transported in shock to the medical center.

LifeNews.com reported that:

Congressman Scalise is a prominent pro-life Advocate in Congress with a longstanding record fighting abortion.

He led the effort calling on the Obama Administration to reverse its unconstitutional mandate forcing religious organizations to include drugs that can cause abortion and birth control in the health care plans of their employees.

The website also notes that Scalise, "has also strongly supported efforts to defund the Planned Parenthood abortion business."  He had told LifeNews: “The right to life is our most precious gift from God, and it is offensive and unacceptable that a single cent of taxpayer dollars would be sent to an organization that systematically aborts infants and sells their body parts. House Republicans will continue to promote a culture that respects life at every stage."

1 - Southern Baptists commit to evangelism, show disdain for "alt-right"

The latest Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting occurred in Phoenix, as some 5,000 registered messengers gathered to conduct business and fellowship together.  According to
Baptist Press:

Appointment of a task force to study how Southern Baptists can be more effective in evangelism and a resolution decrying "alt-right white supremacy" were among highlights of the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting June 13-14 in Phoenix.

The "alt-right" resolution received the most attention - it was submitted to the Resolutions Committee and initially not allowed to go to the convention floor.  Then, it was brought up to the full convention twice and failed to garner the two-thirds required majority.   Finally, the Resolutions Committee asked the full convention to allow the resolution to progress to the floor, and that was granted. The Baptist Press report said that,

A resolution on "the anti-gospel of alt-right white supremacy" decried "every form of racism, including alt-right white supremacy, as antithetical to the Gospel of Jesus Christ" and pledged to pray "both for those who advocate racist ideologies and those who are thereby deceived."

Southern Baptist Convention President Steve Gaines of Bellevue Baptist in Memphis was re-elected to another term, and he "recommended creation of the evangelism task force to study how Southern Baptists can be more effective in personal soul winning and evangelistic preaching." The committee will be chaired by legendary Southern Baptist leader Paige Patterson, President of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.  There will be 19-members, including Patterson, Gaines, and such Southern Baptist notables as J.D. Greear, Jeff Iorg, and James Merritt.

The article also says that, "The annual Crossover evangelism emphasis and the tandem Harvest America crusade yielded 3,549 professions of faith."

The 3 - June 11, 2017

This week's edition of The 3, highlighting three relevant stories to the Christian community, includes a church denomination in the U.K. that has recently approved same-sex "marriage."  Also, there was a significant vote in the U.S. House on providing relief people who are facing religious persecution in Iraq and Syria.  And, the question on whether or not a Christian is disqualified to serve in a position in government because of his or her beliefs was a central focus in a U.S. Senate hearing.

3 - Scottish church denomination approves same-sex "marriage"

Churches and denominations continue to grapple with the cultural trending toward so-called "same-sex marriage."  And, the first Anglican body in the United Kingdom has made its move in that direction - the Scottish Episcopal Church, according to a story on the Christian Headlines website.

The vote occurred on Thursday, June 8, and it "removed the definition of marriage as being a 'union of one man and one woman' from the church’s doctrinal statement," according to the story, which cited a CBN News report that both clergy and laity took part in the vote.

The proposal needed a two-thirds majority to pass, and 80 percent of the bishops and 67 percent of the laity voted to approved the change in the church's doctrine.

A small consolation is that, "The newly-adopted proposal does, however, allow for exceptions if a clergy member objects to officiating at a same-sex wedding. In a case like this, the Church would not force a clergy member to go 'against their conscience.'"

2 - U.S. House votes to provide relief for Iraqis and Syrians facing persecution and genocide

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Iraq and Syria Genocide Accountability Act, and it now goes on to the Senate for approval. This is a bill that, according to its co-sponsor, Rep. Chris Smith, "is a blueprint for how to assist Christians and other genocide survivors and hold perpetrators accountable," according to a piece on the Family Research Council website.

In a press release, Open Doors USA President and CEO David Curry is quoted as saying:

"Since the United States declared more than one year ago that Christians and Yazidis, among other religious minorities in Iraq and Syria, were victims of a genocide perpetrated by ISIS, little has been done to aid them in this unfolding tragedy. This bill is a crucial, necessary response to the terrible situation facing religious minorities throughout the region.

"This tragic situation demonstrates the need for the U.S. government and the United Nations to act on behalf of Christians and other minorities. They deserve rights to equal citizenship, dignified living conditions, and a prominent role in reconciling and rebuilding society in the Middle East. Open Doors USA is advocating for this through our One Million Voices of Hope for the Middle East campaign, asking all Americans to sign on in support of this call to action...

The FRC website also states about the bill:

Among other things, it would jumpstart the asylum process for religious minorities -- but not in a way that would leave the U.S. vulnerable. "Everyone will have to go through a vetting process," the congressman reassured people. FRC also says, "Not only would H.R. 390 speed up the application process, but it would also prosecute those committing war crimes against Christians and fund relief efforts for survivors of Middle East genocide."

1 - Sanders' questioning exposes bias toward Christian government deputy

An alarming exchange took place on Capitol Hill in Washington in a U.S. Senate confirmation hearing for Russell Vought, the nominee to be deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget.  You wouldn't think there would be a whole lot of fireworks in such a hearing, but Sen. Bernie Sanders made sure that there were.

Faithwire reported on the developments:

As Faithwire previously documented in detail, Sanders’ angst was rooted in a blog post that Vought wrote in January 2016 about the then-furious debate at evangelical school Wheaton College over whether Muslims and Christians worship the same God — a popular, heated and seemingly never-ending dispute in theological circles.

The post, which relied extensively on accurate biblical theology that any scripture-reading Christian with a basic understanding of Jesus’ character would embrace, apparently infuriated Sanders.

“You wrote, ‘Muslims do not simply have a deficient theology. They do not know God because they have rejected Jesus Christ, his son, and they stand condemned,’” Sanders said to Vought’s [sic] during a hearing. “Do you believe that that statement is Islamophobic?”

Sanders and Vought then engaged in a "back-and-forth," according to the article, with Vought contending that the statement certainly was not and he "attempted to explain over and over again that he’s a Christian who believes in biblical principles (i.e. that belief in Jesus is essential to inherit salvation). That did little to appease Sanders, though."

Billy Hallowell, who wrote the piece for Faithwire, stated:

It’s troubling that Sanders would essentially create a religious test to target the basic Christian doctrine embraced by a nominee in an effort to try and prevent that person from securing a position.

He contends that, "The person whom Sanders is really at odds with is Jesus, not Vought," and stated:

While initially shocking, none of this should be too surprising. After all, increasing numbers of Americans are falling prey to moral relativism and confusion, specifically when it comes to matters of faith and why people believe what they believe.

The 3 - June 4, 2017

In this week's edition of The 3, featuring three stories of relevance to the Christian community, there's a story out of Kentucky, where the governor has introduced a spiritual response to a rising crime rate in one of the cities it the state.  Also, a Michigan farmer's views on marriage has resulted in his being banned from participating in a local farmers' market.  And, there are Christian leaders who have expressed disappointment at the White House delay in moving the U.S. Embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, but some have remained hopeful that it will occur.

3 - Kentucky governor calls for prayer to combat crime

Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin apparently understands the spiritual underpinnings of crime, and so, in addressing the rising crime rate in Louisville, he brought forth a rather unique plan: pray.  In a crowded meeting Thursday, according to the Courier-Journal:

Bevin urged faith leaders, public officials and residents to take a 10-block span, walk corner to corner, and pray with the community two to three times a week during the next year.

He said later Thursday that the walks are meant to be organic and won't necessarily be led by his office. He didn't specify a start date but suggested that local churches should get involved with the effort.

The article went on to say that at a press conference after the event, "he said there isn’t going to be a particular group or government agency tasked with organizing these block walks and signing up volunteers." Bevin is quoted as saying, "I’m not going to have a commissioner of prayer walks,” adding, "We’re not going to have 1-800 numbers and websites."

Now, the announcement was not without his critics.  Some community leaders were quoted in the article and seemed to find his solution insufficient.  Mayor Greg Fischer wasn't at the meeting, but reportedly said that, according to the story, "solutions to violence 'are many, but a lot of them require resources obviously' from housing to education and health care."  He is quoted as saying, "This is not going to be solved overnight, so if anybody wants to help, we welcome you."  He stated that people are encouraged to get involved with community programs.

2 - Farmer removed from market because of marriage views

The Tennes family owns Country Mill Farm, which is located 22 miles outside of the city limits of East Lansing, Michigan.  According to ToddStarnes.com, the devout Catholic family has sold produce at a farmers' market inside the city...but not any more.

Seems someone had posted a request on Facebook for the farm to host a same-sex wedding.  Starnes wrote:

Tennes told the individual they did not permit same-sex marriages on the farm because of the family’s Catholic belief that marriage is a sacramental union between one man and one woman.

City officials later discovered the Facebook posting and began immediate action to remove Country Mill from the Farmer’s Market – alleging the family had violated the city’s discrimination ordinance.

Oh, and again, the farm is 22 miles outside the limits of the city. Tennes told Starnes, "Whether you are a Jew, Muslim or Christian – people of faith should not be eradicated from the marketplace simply because they don’t share the same thoughts and ideas that the government is choosing to promote..."

The Alliance Defending Freedom has filed a federal lawsuit, as Starnes put it, "alleging East Lansing violated the constitutional rights of the Tennes family." ADF Legal Counsel Kate Anderson said, "All Steve wants to do is sell his food to anyone who wants to buy it, but the city isn’t letting him,” adding, “People of faith, like the Tennes family, should be free to live and work according to their deeply held beliefs without fear of losing their livelihood. If the government can shut down a family farmer just because of the religious views he expresses on Facebook—by denying him a license to do business and serve fresh produce to all people—then no American is free.”

1 - Jerusalem embassy move delay concerns some Christians

Throughout his Presidential campaign, Donald Trump emphasized his solidarity with the nation of Israel.  And, one visible expression of that would be the moving of the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which is an act affirming that the city is the capital of the Jewish state.

This week, according to a report on the Religion News Service website, the Trump Administration announced it would delay the move.  The article stated:

The White House said the decision — which includes a six-month waiver on action related to the embassy — should not be considered “in any way a retreat from the President’s strong support for Israel” or his commitment to its alliance with the U.S.

The White House stated, according to the piece, “President Trump made this decision to maximize the chances of successfully negotiating a deal between Israel and the Palestinians, fulfilling his solemn obligation to defend America’s national security interests,” adding, “But, as he has repeatedly stated his intention to move the embassy, the question is not if that move happens, but only when.”

A number of evangelical leaders expressed disappointment, including Jerry Johnson, President of National Religious Broadcasters. He is quoted as saying, "America’s recognition of the capital city of our foremost and only democratic ally in the Middle East should not be a bargaining chip,” adding, “I am disappointed, but I take the President at his word that this is only a delay in delivering on his promise.”

There were other quotes included in the story, such as this, from a statement from Christians United for Israel: "We are disappointed the President chose at this time to sign the Jerusalem Embassy Act waiver but remain hopeful that he will fulfill his campaign pledge and move the US Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem,” adding, “The President knows that Jerusalem is the eternal and undivided capital of Israel and we strongly believe that the location of our embassy should reflect that reality.”

In a statement, Robert Jeffress, Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, said: “I trust the Trump Administration to eventually fulfill their commitment to move our embassy to Jerusalem at the most opportune time. ‘Not now’ does not mean ‘never.'”

A press release from Liberty Counsel posed the question: "when will the President fulfill his promise to move the Embassy?" Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of the organization stated: “Jerusalem has been unified for 50 years and the Embassy has remained in Tel Aviv. Fifty years of keeping the Embassy outside the capital of Jerusalem has not brought peace. Not moving the Embassy to Jerusalem when President Trump promised he would move it will be seen as a sign of weakness among the enemies of Israel. It is time to move the Embassy to Jerusalem. Fulfill your promise to move the Embassy to Jerusalem during the 50th anniversary of a united Jerusalem..."