The 3 - October 29, 2017

In this week's edition of The 3, providing information about three stories of relevance to the Christian community, there is a story where students at a Texas high school are standing in solidarity regarding the display of a Christian flag on the school's flagpole.  Also, the governor of North Carolina is attempting to re-write legislation in yet another chapter in the state's battle over transgender bathrooms.  Plus, the Vice-President has declared that the U.S. will attempt to use its funds to directly help Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East, rather than using the United Nations as a middleman.

3 - Texas students, parents defend display of Christian flag at school

At LaPoyner High School in LaRue, Texas, the Christian flag had been flown, along with the American flag and the flag of the state of Texas.  And, despite a challenge to that Christian flag, according to ToddStarnes.com, it continues to be flown.

The Freedom from Religion Foundation had stepped in and filed a challenge, and a letter to Superintendent James Young stated: "The display of this patently religious symbol by the District confers government endorsement of Christianity, in violation of the Establishment Clause."

According to Starnes, Young had told local reporters that they were "reviewing" the letter, but no announcement has been made. And, as Todd reports:

Several youngsters purchased Christian flags and mounted the banners on their pickup trucks. It was quite a scene in the high school parking lot -- a convoy of trucks adorned with the Christian flag -- waving in the Texas breeze.

"They can try to take it, but we're going to fight for it," junior Jared Sanchez told Nexstar Broadcasting.

KLTV reported on a recent school board meeting, in which "community members shared their thoughts on the issue." A parent had sent a video along to the television station. One community member said: “The Freedom From Religion organization really has a distorted and inaccurate view of the separation of church and state in the First Amendment,” adding, “Matter fact I'd like to say that their viewpoint is probably void and alien to that of our founding fathers."

The KLTV website stated:

The superintendent also asked anyone who opposed the Christian flag to stand. No one did.

The board will give their proposed thoughts at next month’s meeting.

In the meantime, the flag will remain on school grounds.

2 - North Carolina governor orders bathroom restrictions loosened

For several years, a bill called HB2 was the law in North Carolina, providing for people, including transgender individuals, to use restroom facilities in government buildings corresponding to their biological gender.  Earlier this year, after economic pressure had been placed on the state, and former governor Pat McCrory had been defeated in his bid for re-election, lawmakers passed a so-called "compromise" that essentially waived the provisions of HB2 and placed a moratorium on any more local SOGI ("sexual orientation, gender identity") ordinances.  According to the NewsObserver.com website, that was to remain in effect until December of 2020.

Well, that bill has seemingly been blown out of the water by an executive order by new governor Roy Cooper, who, according to the Family Research Council website, has "unilaterally decided to change that policy with a decree that not only lets grown men back into girls’ restrooms, but forces local businesses to embrace his transgender agenda or lose their government partnerships. Ignore your conscience and public safety concerns, the governor has decided, or kiss your North Carolina contracts goodbye."

The FRC site states:

Cooper is going around the state’s policymakers and trying to unravel the state’s duly-enacted law. And if the governor thought he’d have the support of LGBT activists, he was mistaken. “It’s not nearly enough,” said Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality.

As if his executive order weren’t outrageous, Cooper is also pursuing a deal on the side with North Carolina judges -- a “consent decree” that would officially zero out the compromise law he signed last spring.

The story says: "Tami Fitzgerald, who heads up the North Carolina Values Coalition, called the move 'a massive power grab, with sweeping changes that only the Legislative Branch has the authority to enact.'"

1 - U.S. to help persecuted Christians in Middle East

The United States has attempted to help persecuted religious minorities by sending its money to the United Nations, but since that has not worked well, it appears the U.S. will be helping persecuted Christians and other minorities in the Middle East directly, according to Vice-President Mike Pence, who spoke at the In Defense of Christians dinner recently.

The National Religious Broadcasters website says that:

While the U.S. has invested huge sums in UN relief programs, Pence described their poor record in aiding Christians and other vulnerable religious minorities in that region. He also noted the UN’s refusal in many instances to partner with “faith-based groups with proven track records and deep roots in these communities.” “My friends,” the Vice President said, “those days are over.”

Former Congressman Frank Wolf, described as "long a champion for international religious freedom and now a leader of the 21st Century Wilberforce Initiative," said in a release, published at ReligionNews.com, “This should impact humanitarian aid for those living as Internally Displaced Persons and refugees and stabilization assistance for the Christians and Yezidis returning to areas seized from them by ISIS.”

The 3 - October 22, 2017

In this week's edition of The 3, highlighting three stories of relevance to the Christian community, there is a positive development involving legislation posing a threat to religious liberty; a bill vetoed by the governor.  Also, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a case involving a Ten Commandments monument in New Mexico.  Plus, an appeals court has put on hold a lower court decision providing for an undocumented immigrant teenager to have an abortion, but the appeals court has directed the government to find a sponsor in order for the abortion to take place.

3 - CA Governor vetoes bill posing threat to religious liberty

There was good news about legislation affecting the family out of California, of all places.  According to the Family Policy Alliance website, Governor Jerry Brown vetoed a bill that, according to the site, "aimed to criminalize any contracts or employee codes of conduct related to abortion and sex outside of marriage."

That's based on a conversation with Jonathan Keller, president of California Family Council, who stated, "Every organization that promotes a pro-life message must be able to require its employees to practice what they preach,” adding, “The right to freely exercise one’s religion is enshrined in our Constitution, and has always protected every American’s ability to freely associate around shared beliefs and practices.”

Elissa Graves, litigation counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, is quoted on that organization's website as saying: "The First Amendment doesn’t allow the state to order churches and other faith-based groups to violate their most deeply held convictions. They have the freedom to live according to their faith and to require those who work for them to do the same.” The site provides a brief description of the vetoed bill, saying it "would have prohibited churches, religious colleges, religious non-profit organizations, and pro-life pregnancy care centers from having faith-based codes of conduct with regard to abortion and sexual behavior..."

2 - U.S. Supreme Court decides not to hear Ten Commandments monument case

One of the areas of religious liberty that has caused contention in the courts is the display of the Ten Commandments on public property.  And, Baptist Press reports that the U.S. Supreme Court declined an opportunity to provide clarity in the matter.  It says that:

The court declined without explanation Monday (Oct. 16) to hear an appeal of a lower court ruling against a Ten Commandments monument outside the Bloomfield, N.M., City Hall. In lower courts, two Wiccans represented by the American Civil Liberties Union successfully challenged the five-foot monument, complaining that it constitutes the government's establishment of religion.

The article points out that in 2005, there were two cases involving the Ten Commandments: a "granite monument on the lawn of the Texas state capitol in Austin" was ruled to be constitutional by a 5-4 decision. Conversely, the court ruled that "the posting of the Ten Commandments inside Kentucky courthouses in McCreary and Pulaski counties was unconstitutional."

Bloomfield City Manager Eric Strahl spoke with Baptist Press and stated: "The monuments went there originally because they were of a historical significance," adding, "And since Christianity did play such a big part in the formation and the development of the country, one of the monuments was the Ten Commandments."  Strahl also said, "...as far as the city is concerned, it wasn't a religious issue."

1 - Judge rules that undocumented teen can have abortion; appeals court puts ruling on hold

Last week, Liberty Counsel reported that:

An Obama-nominated federal judge ordered the U.S. government to pay for an undocumented illegal immigrant teenager’s abortion at taxpayer expense in Texas. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan ordered the government to transport the teenager to have the abortion — or allow her guardian to transport her — “promptly and without delay.”

The Justice Department appealed the decision to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. The
Texas Tribune said that the appeals court "gave the federal government until Oct. 31 to find a sponsor to take custody of the teen and take her to an abortion clinic to have the procedure."

The article also states that the court "noted that the federal government assumed that" the teenager has the "constitutional right to obtain an abortion in the United States."

But, the Justice Department attorney, Catherine Dorsey, according to the Tribune, "went on to argue that what is actually blocking Doe's abortion is her status as a minor under federal custody and that the government is not required to facilitate her abortion."  She added, "What's happening here is the government refusing to facilitate the abortion and that is not an undue burden."

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, expressing his "disappointment" for the decision, stated, "Unlawfully-present aliens with no substantial ties to the U.S. do not have a right to abortion on demand. Texas must not become a sanctuary state for abortions."

This is a decision that seems to have made no one happy - the ACLU, representing the teen, is opposed to the delay, and the Justice Department is arguing that the government should not be involved in this teen's abortion.

Liberty Counsel points out that:

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has now implemented a new policy under President Trump which discourages abortions among undocumented minors residing in federally-funded shelters. The policy prevents pregnant, unaccompanied minors in shelters from seeking abortions and instead directs them to crisis pregnancy centers where they are encouraged to forgo the abortion.

The 3 - October 15, 2017

In this week's edition of The 3, exploring recent events involving the Christian community, there is a story of court action involving a high-profile atheist group, which asked for one of its leaders to make an opening statement during the customary prayer time at the beginning of the day in the U.S. House - that was turned back by a Federal judge.  Also, the U.S. Attorney General has issued a memo that says that "gender," as defined in a section of Federal law, does not apply to transgenderism.  And, a U.S. Representative was banned from running a pro-life ad on Twitter, then the ad was allowed - 2 pro-life organizations are crying foul.

3 - Attempt to modify Congressional opening prayer to allow atheist turned back by judge

At the start of the legislative day, the U.S. House of Representatives has an opening prayer, and according to The Hill website, "Guest chaplains are allowed to give the opening prayer in the House if a member sponsors them, if they are ordained and if their prayer addresses a 'higher power.'"

That framework was challenged recently by the Freedom from Religion Foundation, whose co-president, Daniel Barker, had requested the opportunity to deliver an opening statement, a "non-prayer," if you will, prior to a session of the House.

Barker...

...claimed he had met all the requirements, but the chaplain denied his request because he was “ordained in a denomination in which he no longer practices” and “is not a religious clergyman.”

So, FFRF did what FFRF does - it filed a lawsuit against "House Chaplain Father Patrick Conroy, his staff and Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) in May 2016, challenging their refusal to let him give a nonreligious invocation on the floor."

D.C. Federal Circuit Judge, Rosemary Collyer, according to the story, "dismissed Barker’s claims that he had been discriminated against." The article goes on to say:

Collyer said “Congress has exclusive authority over its rules and the manner in which it conducts its affairs" and that the House Chaplain's "refusal to invite an avowed atheist to deliver the morning ‘prayer,’ in the guise of a non-religious public exhortation as a ‘guest chaplain'" was not a violation of the establishment clause of the Constitution, as Barker had claimed.

2 - Attorney General: gender reference in Civil Rights Act not applicable to transgender people

There is a movement among some to try to redefine references to "gender" in Federal law as also including "sexual orientation and gender identity."  According to Liberty Counsel, Attorney General Jeff Sessions has modified the interpretation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which governs employment law, which had reflected that philosophy.  The Liberty Counsel website states:

The Attorney General officially withdrew a 2014 Obama-era policy protecting so-called “transgender” employees from discrimination under Title VII. The Attorney General stated that the Department of Justice will no longer interpret Title VII to mean that the law's protections extend to discrimination based on gender identity. Sessions said the change will apply to “all pending and future matters” relating to “transgender” workers, which means that it could have an immediate impact on open discrimination cases.

In a memo, Attorney General Sessions stated: "Title VII expressly prohibits discrimination ‘because of…sex’…and several other protected traits, but it does not refer to gender identity. “Sex is ordinarily defined to mean biologically male or female."

1 - Pro-life ad banned, restored by Twitter; others cry foul about ad policies

Recently, a leading contender for the U.S. Senate seat from Tennessee, to be vacated by Sen. Bob Corker, wanted to place a political ad on Twitter.  In it, according to the website for the Susan B. Anthony List, Rep. Marsha Blackburn wished to call attention to her action against Planned Parenthood and the "sale of baby body parts." Twitter refused the ad, but later reversed course.

The SBA List website points out that "Despite its reversal on Rep. Blackburn’s ad, Twitter continues to block all advertising from Live Action, as well as some advertising by SBA List."  Live Action and Susan B. Anthony List are both pro-life advocacy organizations.

SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser is quoted on the site as saying, "We are encouraged that Twitter reconsidered its censorship of Rep. Blackburn’s pro-life ad. However, the root issue is far from resolved. It took pressure and a great deal of negative publicity for Twitter to reverse this one decision. Meanwhile pro-life groups like Live Action and SBA List are still subject to an apparent double standard when they simply tell the truth, horrific as it is, about Planned Parenthood’s baby parts trafficking."  Lila Rose, President of Live Action, was also quoted, expressing similar sentiment.

The 3 - October 8, 2017

This week on The 3, there is encouragement from the next generation of students; many brought their Bibles to school, very appropriate to radiate hope in light of the tragic Las Vegas shooting.  Also, lawmakers in the U.S. House took a step to prevent the taking of the lives of pre-born children at around 20 weeks of development.  And, two agencies of the Trump Administration announced new guidelines to protect religious freedom, including the releasing of religious organizations from the odious contraceptive mandate from the Department of Health and Human Services.

3 - Students bring Bibles to school

During this week when people were grieving the loss of around 60 people in the tragedy in Las Vegas, and churches and pastors were bringing hope and comfort, thousands of students were attempting to shine light - the light of God's truth - in the darkness.

Focus on the Family was anticipating that perhaps a half million students would be bringing their Bibles to school this past Thursday to celebrate "Bring Your Bible to School Day," which was initiated by Focus.  Its website states:

Many Christian students feel there’s an unspoken pressure to stay silent about their faith. Others report overt efforts to silence them from presenting their Bible-based viewpoints in class discussions or in assignments. Yet, the First Amendment recognizes the rights of students to talk about their faith and read their Bibles outside of classroom time.

Focus President Jim Daly stated, "Over the years we’ve heard from many kids and teens who want to meaningfully engage in conversations with peers to share their perspective on important issues,” adding, “The good news is – they can. The Constitution recognizes students’ rights to share their biblical viewpoints in a way that doesn’t disturb instruction time, and to exercise their faith at school. ‘Bring Your Bible to School Day’ celebrates these rights and gives Christian students a chance to share a bit about their faith, which is an important part of who they are.”

The CBN News website displayed "...just a few photos trending on social media of children bringing their Bibles to school."  The story stated that:

Spokesman Candi Cushman says bringing a Bible to school is an opportunity for students ranging from kindergarten to college to share their faith in Christ.

"We have some great stories from kids even as young as kindergarten taking their Bibles to school and just reading it out loud with their friends at recess," Cushman told CBN News.

"There are thousands of students joining them across the nation and groups like Focus on the Family are standing behind them and praying for them."

2 - House approves bill to protect unborn children; goes to Senate

The bill known as the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act has crossed a threshold to final passage and the promised signature of President Trump.  According to the Susan B. Anthony List website, the legislation "would protect unborn children from late-term abortion after five months, more than halfway through pregnancy, a point by which science shows they can feel pain. The bill passed the House of Representatives on Tuesday by a vote of 237 to 189."

Interestingly enough, the SBA List reports that:

Post-election polling data commissioned by the Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List) and made widely available today shows that large majorities of voters in 2018 Senate battleground states support legislation limiting abortion after five months, and a majority or plurality of those voters would be less likely to support a Senator who voted to allow late-term abortion.

SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser called for Senate passage of the bill, saying: “Voters agree: it’s inexplicable that the United States is one of only seven nations in the world to allow abortion after 20 weeks – five months, more than halfway through pregnancy – putting us in the company of China and North Korea,” adding, “Our nation does not belong in that disgraceful club. Twenty states have passed their own Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Acts and momentum has long been building for a national limit.”

1 - Two administration departments take action on religious freedom

It has become apparent that religious freedom is a priority of the Trump Administration. The President signed an order addressing protecting religious freedom back in May on the National Day of Prayer, directing Federal agencies to offer such protection.

On Friday, according to the Family Research Council, "The Department of Justice (DOJ) is directing federal agencies to respect religious freedom while the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is exempting religious entities from the oppressive Obama contraceptive mandate."

In a statement, FRC President Tony Perkins said, in part:

“President Trump and the Department of Justice are putting federal government agencies on notice: you will not only respect the freedom of every American to believe but live according to those beliefs. This is a freedom that has been a fundamental part of our society since the beginning of our nation."

On its website, Alliance Defending Freedom President, CEO, and General Counsel Michael Farris is quoted as saying:

The guidance that the Trump administration issued today helps protect that First Amendment freedom. As the memo states, ‘Americans do not give up their freedom of religion by participating in the marketplace, partaking of the public square, or interacting with government,’ and ‘free exercise of religion includes the right to act or abstain from action in accordance with one’s religious beliefs.’

Farris added, "...I commend the president for taking another step to honor his campaign promise to make religious liberty his ‘first priority’ by directing the Department of Justice to issue this guidance, which simply directs the federal government to adhere to its legal and constitutional obligation to respect existing religious freedom protections.”

The 3 - October 1, 2017

In this week's edition of The 3, spotlighting three recent news stories impacting or involving the Christian community, there's good news out of court - a positive ruling was handed down in favor of a group of cheerleaders who held up banners with Scripture on them for the football players to run through.  Also, the Church is facing difficulties in Puerto Rico, while Christian organizations attempt to bring relief to the island.  Plus, a church community is continuing to process a devastating event just over a week ago, when a gunman begin shooting attendees.

3 - Cheerleaders prevail in banner case

The year was 2012 - high school cheerleaders in Kountze, Texas, were told by the school district that they could no longer display banners containing Scripture for the school's football team to run through prior to the games.  According to the First Liberty website, a lawsuit was filed by that organization and a Texas attorney, and the cheerleaders were allowed by a judge to continue to display the Scripture banners through the end of that school year.

The website states that in 2013:

Hardin County District Court Judge Steven Thomas found that the Kountze Cheerleaders had the legal right to display their Bible verse banners at KISD sporting events. He determined that the banners were “constitutionally permissible” and rejected the school district’s attempt to dismiss the lawsuit based on the claim that the banners were government speech.

An appeals court upheld the ruling, but the district maintained it still had the right the censor the banners, according to First Liberty.  The organization, along with volunteer attorneys, asked the state Supreme Court "to review the case and reaffirm the student’s rights to free religious expression, free from government censorship." The website says:

On January 29, 2016, in an 8-0 decision, the Texas Supreme Court decided in favor of the Kountze Cheerleaders, sending the case back to the Court of Appeals for the Ninth District in Beaumont, Texas. On September 28, 2017, the Court of Appeals issued its ruling in favor of the cheerleaders, again affirming their rights to religious freedom.

Kelly Shackelford, President and CEO of First Liberty, is quoted as saying, “This is another great victory for the free speech and religious liberty rights of all Texas students,” adding, "Hopefully this ruling will bring clarity and closure to this issue for all Texas students and schools.”

2 - Puerto Rico churches face devastation, challenges

While a number of Christian organizations are working to bring relief to the citizens of Puerto Rico, which was severely damaged by Hurricane Maria, the Church is suffering on that island, a U.S. Territory.  A Christianity Today article states that approximately 3,000 churches were "damaged or destoyed" by the hurricane, according to the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference.

Pew Research estimates that, "About half of Puerto Ricans go to church at least once a week," according to the Christianity Today story, which quotes evangelist and doctor Luis Paz, who says, “We don’t have buildings right now to have meetings,” adding, “We are outside, bringing hope to people, the ones that need the most. We have brothers and sisters who don’t have homes right now, but the church is open to them.”

The article says, "The NHCLC partnered with Convoy of Hope to call upon congregation in the United States to sponsor damaged churches in Puerto Rico as well as in Mexico, after its recent earthquake." Also, the North American Mission Board will facilitate "church partnerships with Southern Baptist congregations, in addition to sending care packages to pastors, Baptist Press reported."

Franklin Graham conducted a crusade in Puerto Rico earlier this year and one of the organizations he leads, Samaritan's Purse, "has connections with congregations that participate in its iconic Operation Christmas Child shoebox program, as well as pastors like Paz who took part in president Franklin Graham’s crusade there in February." Daniel Zeidan with Samaritan's Purse states, "We know churches are not relief agencies, but they have a role to play when there is suffering and loss,” adding, “They will be there after we leave. What the church does now will have an impact that will last a long time.”

1 - Church shooting produces pain, hero honored

Whenever there is violence on a church property, which people would, I would imagine, like to think of as a place of refuge, it does cause great concern. Religion News Service reports on the aftermath of the shooting at Burnette Chapel Church of Christ outside Nashville on Sunday, September 24, which resulted in the death of one of the church members, Melanie Crow, and injury to seven others, including minister Joey Spann.

Her funeral was Thursday, and the night before, parishoners gathered for the church's mid-week service, and the RNS article, from USA Today, stated:

Midweek service went on as it does every Wednesday at 7 p.m., though the church is still figuring out what to do with an auditorium in disarray and the cluster of reporters that continued to hover.

Scott Sager, vice president for church services at Lipscomb University, stated, “We want to claim the promise that if you’re for us, no one can be against us,” adding, "You, who did not spare your own son, but sent him into the world.”

And, there has been attention called to the usher whose bravery could have contributed to a number of lives being saved.  His name is Caleb Engle.  Chattanooga television station WDEF had this information on its website:

When a gunman entered the church, Engle confronted him.

During their struggle, the gun went off, hitting the shooter in the chest.

Even though he had been pistol whipped during the fight, Engle then went to his car to get his own gun to hold the suspect until police arrived.

“He’s the hero. He’s the person that stopped this madness,” said Metro Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson.

The article included a statement by Engle, tweeted out by Sophie Neilsen-Kolding, who works for NewsChannel 5 in Nashville, in which Engle encouraged prayer for the victims and their families and the church community.  He encouraged prayer for healing.  He also asked for prayer for the shooter and his family and friends.  He stated:

I pray that through all of this that people will come to know Christ and I ask our nation to reflect on Romans 8:31:  "If God is for us, who can be against us?"

He also stated that he did not want to be "labeled a hero."