The 3 - April 29, 2018

In this week's edition of The 3, spotlighting three stories from the Christian community, you'll find out about one African nation, in which hundreds of churches have been shut down, at least temporarily.  Also, evangelicals are among those stepping up to address prison reform.  Plus, a toddler in U.K. has lost his life after his parents fought to keep him from being removed from life support.

3 - Rwandan government closes hundreds of churches

It is certainly a valid role of government to set regulations for buildings and to conduct timely inspections.  But, when a country closes down around 700 buildings, all with the same purpose, I would imagine that it would raise maybe more than a few eyebrows.  According to the BBC, the government in Rwanda has done just that.  Its report states: "About 700 churches have been closed down in Rwanda for failing to comply with building regulations and for noise pollution."  The report adds, "A government official told the BBC that some of the more than 700 buildings shut down have already reopened after they were approved by inspectors."  (One building was a mosque.)

The BBC report also says:

Some are massive, attracting thousands of worshippers each Sunday, but others consist of tiny structures built without planning permission.

Church leaders have at times been criticised for using loud public address systems to attract worshippers.

Oh, and according to the article, in this predominantly Christian African nation, "According to a proposed new law, all preachers must have theological training before opening a church."

A Christianity Today story quotes President Paul Kagame:

Kagame said his country doesn’t need so many houses of worship, explaining that such a high number is only fit for bigger, more developed economies that have the means to sustain them.

Many church leaders disagree, and six Pentecostal pastors were arrested for organizing protests. Rwandan authorities maintain the churches were in such poor physical condition that they threatened the lives of churchgoers.

2 - "Second Chance Month" concludes, church leaders push prison reform

Prison Fellowship, the ministry founded by the late Chuck Colson, declared the month of April to be "Second Chance Month." Its website stated:

Just as God forgives our sins and offers us a second chance, the Bible shows us that we can offer a second chance to those who have paid their debt to society. People with a past can still have a bright future, and their families and communities stand to benefit from their contributions.

The website goes on to say:

President Trump officially recognized April 2018 as Second Chance Month, along with nine other jurisdictions and more than 150 partner organizations around the country. Prison Fellowship and its partners are working to reduce barriers keeping formerly incarcerated Americans from successfully rejoining society...

The site also says that PF and its partners are "raising awareness of the importance of second chances...," and it mentioned a number of methods through which that would be done.

Also, Prison Fellowship is standing behind prison reform legislation that is scheduled for a Congressional vote.  The Christian Post stated that:

Hundreds of Christian leaders have signed onto a letter sent Wednesday to Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and other congressional leaders voicing support for the Prison Reform and Redemption Act of 2017, also known as H.R. 3356.

The bill would expand programs that focus on their individual problems, such as drug rehabilitation, treatment for sexual addiction, job training, anger management or others. The legislation would also expand risk assessment to determine the best programs for individual prisoners.

Evangelical leaders signing the letter include Franklin Graham, James Dobson, Ronnie Floyd, Jack Graham, Tony Perkins, and Harry Jackson.

A vote on the bill has been delayed, a delay which PF deems to be unacceptable - its senior vice president of advocacy and public policy, Craig DeRoche, is quoted as saying, "The delay in voting on the Prison Reform and Redemption Act in the House of Representatives is a disappointment to Prison Fellowship and the hundreds of thousands of prisoners and families we serve in our programs..."

There are those that say the legislation does not go far enough - by not including sentencing reform. The Post said:

DeRoche, who also supports sentencing reforms, asserted. "Delaying, or even killing these important reforms disregards the hope, dignity, value and potential of the people incarcerated today and will only serve the practical outcome of making America less safe by continuing the current recidivism rate."

Meanwhile, CBN News reported that a number of "evangelical leaders" were scheduled to meet at the White House last Friday to discuss prison reform, including some from the "Reconciled Church Movement," which includes Jackson.  The article states that:

This meeting is a series of listening sessions between the administration, led by advisor Jared Kushner and civil and religious leaders about ways to reform the criminal justice system.

CBN also stated, regarding the prison bill, that it would "use faith-based organizations to help in the efforts."

The Christian Post highlighted the need for such legislation:

Bureau of Justice Statistics studies have found that about two-thirds of released prisoners in the U.S. were rearrested within three years after release.

1 - Alfie Evans, after UK court refusal on medical treatment, passes away

In a series of events that present a chilling scenario for people who consider themselves to be pro-life, another child in the United Kingdom was denied his right to life at the hands of overzealous judges.

LifeSiteNews.com reported late Friday night in the States that 23-month-old Alfie Evans had died. The report said:

Despite last-minute interventions, including the Italian government’s gift of citizenship to the infant, the child died four days after doctors at the Alder Hey NHS (National Health Service) Foundation ignored his parents’ wishes and removed him from a ventilator.

The hospital had determined that due to Alfie's condition, which was said to have been a "fatal neurodegenerative disorder," that it was in his best interest to discontinue further treatment. The article says that, "On February 20, 2018, Mr Justice Heydon of the UK Supreme Court ruled that it was in Alfie’s 'best interests' to discontinue treatment, to be removed from his life support, and to receive palliative care at Alder Hey."

After numerous appeals before a variety of courts, including the UK High Court, life support was removed last Monday.