The 3 - August 13, 2017

This week's edition of The 3, my week-in-review feature, highlights the plight of a Wyoming judge who lost her role as a magistrate due to her views on marriage; she is now appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court.  Also, a program that was supposed to cut teen pregnancy that funded some Planned Parenthood affiliates will be coming to an end sooner than expected.  And, a Canadian pastor who had been imprisoned in North Korea has been released.

3 - WY judge punished for marriage views appeals to U.S. Supreme Court

Ruth Neely is a municipal judge in Pinedale, Wyoming, and has served in that role for over 22 years. She also had been a part-time circuit court magistrate in Sublette County for approximately 15 years. She was removed from that position, because she had stated she would not "solemnize" or perform, same-sex wedding ceremonies, according to a piece on the Alliance Defending Freedom website.  In that role as a magistrate, she had the authority to solemnize marriages but, according to ADF, "had discretion to decline wedding requests for nearly any reason."

Nevertheless, in March of 2015, before the Obergefell decision, the Wyoming Commission on Judicial Conduct and Ethics "filed a complaint against Neely, alleging judicial misconduct and seeking her removal from both judicial positions simply because she voiced her religious conflict with performing same-sex weddings."  She did eventually lose her magistrate position, and this action has disturbing implications for other magistrates in the state.

The ADF release states:

In March, the Wyoming Supreme Court publicly censured Neely, forced her to stop solemnizing marriages, and drove her from her magistrate judge position for stating, in response to a reporter’s questions, that her religious beliefs about marriage do not permit her to officiate same-sex weddings. Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys representing Neely are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse the Wyoming Supreme Court’s decision and declare that a judge cannot be punished for expressing her beliefs about marriage.

ADF Senior Counsel David Cortman actually used language from the Obergefell decision in this quote: “No one should be punished simply for expressing a belief about marriage that is ‘based on decent and honorable religious…premises’ and is held ‘in good faith by reasonable and sincere people...’” He went on to say that the Wyoming high court's action, "unconstitutionally targets religion for disfavored treatment, and that’s why we’re asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear this case.”

2 - Government funding source for Planned Parenthood terminated

The Federal government has operated a program called the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program since 2010, which, according to a story on the LifeNews.com website, referencing a report on The Hill site, was intended to "teach vulnerable populations of students about preventing pregnancy."

The Life News article states:

Participants in the program recently learned that their grant funding will end next year, two years sooner than expected, according to the report. Trump’s administration notified the 81 grant recipients that funding for the program is being cut by about $200 million and their grants will end on June 30, 2018, the report states.

And, the piece points out that "Among the groups receiving grants to teach sex education are several Planned Parenthood affiliates."

The article also says, "Democrats and abortion activists are upset by the cuts, and are sending letters to HHS Secretary Tom Price in protest. Many speculate that the cuts could mean Trump’s administration will support abstinence-based programs instead."

There is a reference to the article at The Hill pointing out that:

Valerie Huber, a prominent national abstinence education advocate, was recently named chief of staff to the assistant secretary for health, which oversees the office that manages the Teen Pregnancy Prevention program.

That article had pointed out that it was unclear how much Huber had played a role in these funding cuts, but she had stated in an op-ed for the same website that "The healthiest message for youth is one that gives youth the skills and information to avoid the risks of teen sex, not merely reduce them..."

1 - North Korea releases Canadian pastor

In the midst of all the activity surrounding North Korea, there was some good news coming out of the so-called "Hermit Kingdom," according to ChristianNews.net.

62-year-old Hyeon Soo Lim, pastor of Light Korean Presbyterian Church in Toronto, was released from prison by North Korea.  The story states that:

According to reports, a delegation led by Canadian National Security Adviser Daniel Jean recently traveled to North Korea in an attempt to secure Lim’s release. On Wednesday, he was set free on “sick bail...” 

Pastor Hyeon had "traveled to the country two years ago to build an orphanage, nursery and nursing home. He had visited the nation over 100 times in the past 20 years."  But, as the article states...

...while carrying out his mission, he was taken into custody in February 2015 and accused of committing hostile acts against the North Korean regime. In December of that year, Lim was put on trial and sentenced to indefinite hard labor.

Suzanne Scholte, chair of North Korea Freedom Coalition, is quoted as saying: “Lim was imprisoned simply because he served the one true God and wanted Him to be known to the North Korean people.”  She related these comments to International Christian Concern. She also said:

“While Pastor Lim’s treatment is a reminder of the atrocious and evil nature of the DPRK regime, it should also be a reminder of how vigilant that regime works to keep their population literally and spiritually ‘in the dark’ as the Christian faith is seen as a direct attack on Kim Jong Un, whom they are brainwashed to worship as their god..."