The 3 - June 24, 2018

In this week's edition of The 3, spotlighting three stories of relevance to the Christian community, the promotion of "Freedom Sunday" at a Dallas church resulted in its freedom to speak its message being limited.  Also, a church in Maryland has been banned from using its own facility for the purpose of worship services.  And, the Oregon couple whose bakery was shut down due to their declining to provide a cake celebrating a same-sex union, received another court defeat.

3 - Church billboards taken down

This past Sunday, First Baptist Church of Dallas, TX presented its "Freedom Sunday" event, with Senior Pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress preaching on the topic, America is a Christian Nation.  This event was being promoted on billboards around the area, until the billboard company ordered them to be taken down.

According to a press release from Dr. Jeffress and First Baptist Dallas, the pastor said, “the message will present the historical evidence for the bedrock of faith upon which America was founded.” The press release continued:

Students of history will recognize these words “America is a Christian Nation” did not originate with Jeffress but came from the words of both John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court; and Justice David Josiah Brewer, who explicitly described America as a Christian nation in a Supreme Court ruling.

The website, Lifezette, reported:

The advertising company, OutFront Media, seems to have been urged to action (at least in part) by a sardonic opinion piece published in The Dallas Morning News, titled “First Baptist Pastor Robert Jeffress’ Gospel of Division Does Not Represent My Dallas.”

The mayor of the city was quoted in the article, stating:

"I don't mind someone being proud of the Christian tradition in America — it's obviously there," adding, "But one of the strengths of Dallas is our faith-based community, [and] it's the strength that makes us a city of love versus a city of hate."

And a group of atheists were planning a protest at First Baptist on Sunday morning, according to another press release from the pastor and the church, which stated:

The irony of the protest is not lost on Dr. Robert Jeffress, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas: “Last December, American Atheists placed billboards in Dallas attacking Christmas and advising people to ‘Just Skip church’ and ‘It’s all fake news.’ We, of course, didn’t organize demonstrations against the billboards, put pressure on the billboard company for them to be taken down, or denounce them for their divisive and mean-spirited words because, unlike those on the Left, we actually believe in free speech.”

When asked how he felt about the demonstrators, Dr. Jeffress said, “We welcome skeptics and cynics, so of course we’re glad they’re coming. I just hope they’ll have the courage to drop their logos and egos long enough to actually listen to the overwhelming evidence that I’ll be presenting in my sermon, ‘America is a Christian Nation.’” He added with a smile, “But they better get here early—we’re expecting a big crowd.”

2 - City prevented from holding worship in its own coffee shop

A church in Maryland has been prevented from holding a worship service in its own facility.  A Faithwire.com story reported:

Redemption Community Church opened a coffee shop in the town of Laurel, with the aim of serving the local community coffee for six days a week and presenting the Gospel on Sunday.

Ragamuffins Coffee House is located in a very poor neighborhood and seeks to meet the needs of those who are struggling, offering them a welcoming and warm community — and great coffee.

But, according to the story, "...city officials told them to cease ministry operations and leave immediately. According to the Alliance Defending Freedom, the religious freedom legal group representing the church, city officials adopted new zoning codes with the express intention of stopping Redemption Community Church from operating in the city’s downtown area."

ADF explained, "The law forces houses of worship to submit to an expensive, time-consuming, and uncertain special exception process that is not imposed on secular organizations..." It noted, "Almost immediately after the church purchased the property, the city changed its zoning code to remove houses of worship on less than one acre as permitted uses in the zone and allow them only if a special exception permit application was individually approved..." The city threatened to fine the church $250 per day. The Faithwire story noted the recent initiative announced by the Department of Justice that protects churches from, as the article states, "government interference," with respect to land and facility usage.

1 - OR Supreme Court rejects appeal from cake bakers

Aaron and Melissa Klein have had a years-long history of being told "no" by the legal system after they said "yes" to upholding their religious beliefs by rejecting a request to bake a cake celebrating a same-sex marriage.  The Kleins faced a heavy fine of $135,000 for their action and their appeals through the courts have been repeatedly rejected.

The latest case in point occurred this past week. First Liberty, which represents the couple, reported in a press release:

...the Oregon Supreme Court denied review in the case of Aaron and Melissa Klein, owners of Sweetcakes by Melissa. The following statement in response to the court’s decision may be attributed to Kelly Shackelford, President and CEO for First Liberty Institute:

No one in America should be forced by the government to choose between their faith and their livelihood. But that’s exactly what happened to our clients, bakers Aaron and Melissa Klein. We look forward to making our case to the Supreme Court of the United States.

Perhaps it is the Kleins' case, or that of a florist in Washington who declined to provide flowers for a same-sex wedding ceremony, that could cause the high court to make a definitive ruling on the religious freedom rights of artists who do not wish to participate in providing their art for an event that violates their deeply held beliefs.  The Masterpiece Cakeshop decision was a step in the right direction, but experts agree that it was incomplete.  Meanwhile, Jack Phillips, the owner of Masterpiece, is experiencing an uptick in business, according to ChristianHeadlines.com.  The article states:

Phillips said he has received an outpouring of support as the case went before the Supreme Court and that his business has increased, although he initially lost 40 percent of his business.

"We have had so many people coming by to support us as the case has gone on, and there has been an outpouring of love and support since the decision came down. The state's targeting of my beliefs cost me 40 percent of my business and forced me from 10 employees down to four. But we're so happy to be busy doing what we do best at our shop," Phillips told The Christian Post in an email.