The 3 - November 25, 2018

This week's edition of The 3 includes two stories out of the state of Ohio: one involves a college professor who has been caught in the "preferred pronoun" trap, which he is contending violates his religious freedom.  Also, the legislature there is attempting, once more, to ban abortions after a heartbeat is detected.  And, there is news out of a remote island near India of an American missionary who went there to share the gospel and lost his life.

3 - College professor in Ohio at odds with school over gender pronouns

There seems to always be some story or set of stories on a weekly basis about collegiate policies that are an affront to religious liberty.  A recent development at Shawnee State University in Ohio fits into that category.

A Baptist Press article provides details on a tenured faculty member there, Nicholas Meriwether, who "uses courtesy titles like 'Mr.' and 'Miss' with students' last names in his classes."  The article points out that "his belief that God created humans immutably male or female puts that practice at odds with the Shawnee State nondiscrimination policy, which demands employees affirm a person's preferred gender."  He has now filed suit against the university.

The article reports:

A disciplinary letter placed in Meriwether's personnel file in June claimed he created a "hostile environment" in his political philosophy class by refusing to address a male student, Alena Bruening, as female.

Meriwether suggested to the student and school administrators that he refer to Bruening by first or last name only, with no gender-specific prefix. According to the lawsuit, Bruening took offense at the offer and responded with an obscenity. Bruening filed two discrimination complaints and threatened to have the professor fired.

Meriwether claims in a federal lawsuit that administrators violated his free speech, his religious liberty, and his employment contract by demanding he submit to the university's identity politics. The lawsuit claims Shawnee State showed animus toward Meriwether's religious beliefs as early as 2016.

Travis Barham of the Alliance Defending Freedom is quoted as saying, "Public universities have no business compelling people to express views they do not hold...That's the message of this case."
 
2 - Ohio lawmakers attempt to ban abortion after detection of heartbeat

Two years after the governor of Ohio, John Kasich, had vetoed a similar bill, the House of Representatives in Ohio, by barely a veto-proof majority, has passed a bill that would, according to WORLD Magazine, "penalize anyone who performed an abortion on a baby with a detectable heartbeat," which, as the article said, is, "typically at six to eight weeks' gestation."

The article relates:

State Rep. Christina Hagan, a Republican who sponsored the bill, told WYTV in Youngstown that lawmakers drafted the legislation in direct opposition to Roe v. Wade: “Our intention is to go directly to the heart of Roe v. Wade and to challenge the question of when a life begins in the United States and when their constitutional protection is due to them.” Hagan, whose newborn twin sons were by her side during floor debate, added, “We know when a heartbeat stops that we have a lost a human life.”

The bill in 2016 had cleared the House and Senate, and was vetoed by Kasich because he did not believe it would survive a court challenge; Kasich did sign a law banning abortion after 20 weeks' gestation. WORLD reports:

Kasich said he would veto the bill again should it pass the state Senate. And if the state legislature doesn’t garner the necessary votes to override him, lawmakers will have to wait until the next session to take another crack at it. But that will be after Republican Gov.-elect Mike DeWine takes office, who has said he would sign such a bill.

It would take 60 votes in the House and 20 in the Senate to override a gubernatorial veto.

1 - Missionary killed in attempt to minister to secluded tribe

North Sentinel Island is situated off the coast of India, and it is the home, according to Christianity Today, of the "the most isolated tribe in the world."  That story announced that:

All Nations, a Christian missions agency based in the US, confirmed that John Allen Chau traveled to North Sentinel Island after years of study and training to evangelize its small indigenous population, who remain almost entirely untouched by modern civilization.

The article continues:

According to news reports based on Chau’s journal entries, the Oral Roberts University graduate shouted, “My name is John, and I love you and Jesus loves you,” to Sentinelese tribesmen armed with bows and arrows. He fled to a fishing boat when they shot at him during his initial visit, with one arrow piercing his Bible.

The young missionary did not survive a follow-up trip on November 17.

Mary Ho, international executive leader of All Nations, which says, according to the CT article, that "it trains and supports 150 missionaries in 31 countries, including India," is quoted as saying: “John was a gracious and sensitive ambassador of Jesus Christ who wanted others to know of God’s great love for them,” adding, “As we grieve for our friend, and pray for all those who mourn his death, we also know that he would want us to pray for those who may have been responsible for his death.”

The article relates that:

This was Chau’s third visit to the Andaman and Nicobar island chain. Its police chief called his recent trip “misplaced adventure,” but his family and friends insist that he knowingly violated protocol to enter the dangerous territory for the sake of sharing the gospel.

Because of a prohibition against even contacting members of those tribes in the region, there will be no action taken against those who took John Allen's life. Christianity Today also reports that:

His family posted a tribute on Instagram, saying they forgive those responsible for killing Chau and requesting that charges be dropped against the fishermen accused of endangering his life by helping transport him to North Sentinel Island.

The 3 - November 18, 2018

This week's edition of The 3 features two instances of opposition to Christian speech on college campuses.  One, at the University of Colorado, involves a group of students that has been denied recognition because it will not allow students who don't adhere to their faith perspective to hold leadership positions.  Another instance, at the University of California, involves a member of the student government who was ostracized by her own party for taking a position consistent with a Christian worldview perspective.  And, there is an update on developments on what may be the new home for the Pakistani woman whose death sentence for blasphemy was overturned.

3 - Christian group challenges University of Colorado policy

A student group at the University of Colorado has filed a Federal lawsuit against the school because the university has attempted to force the organization to place people in leadership who do not share the group's Christian beliefs.  The Alliance Defending Freedom website states that:

The university refused to grant Ratio Christi registered status because it only allows those who share and personally hold beliefs consistent with the group’s mission to serve as its leaders.

It further states, that, "Ratio Christi seeks to defend the Christian faith and explain how the Bible applies to various current cultural, ethical, and political issues. Any student can attend its events. Any student of any faith can become a member of Ratio Christi, as long as he supports the group’s purpose."

But, the group has a requirement that leaders "share its religious beliefs."  The registered status, according to ADF, means that its "access to funding, meeting and event space, and administrative support" are limited. ADF Senior Counsel Tyson Langhofer, director of the ADF Center for Academic Freedom, is quoted as saying, “Despite claiming inclusiveness and diversity as its core values, the University of Colorado is failing to foster real diversity of thought and is, instead, discriminating against a Christian group based on its beliefs..."  The legal group alleges that the university is treating Ratio Christi differently than other organizations.

2 - University of California student encounters opposition to Biblical view of sexuality

A Christian student at the University of California at Berkeley, who serves on the Student Government Association, is facing opposition and calls to resign from her position as the result of her taking a stand consistent with a Biblical view of sexuality.

According to the Campus Reform website, Isabella Chow decided "to abstain from voting on a resolution to oppose the recent Title IX changes proposed by President Donald Trump."  The changes would return the definition of gender under the Civil Rights Act to mean simply one's biological gender.  The previous Administration had expanded the definition to include gender "identity."  The resolution was, according to the website...

...intended to display solidarity with members of the LGBT community, specifically "transgender, intersex, nonbinary and gender nonconforming students,” as reported by the independent student newspaper the Daily Californian.

Now, Isabella is facing calls to resign and, as the website previously reported, she has been "disavowed" by her own party, called Student Action. The article states that:

Chow, who says she "campaigned very clearly as the candidate who would represent the Christian community” chose not to vote for the bill, stating that she could not do so "without compromising [her] values and [her] responsibility to the community that elected [her] to represent them.”

During an interview with Campus Reform, Chow said that she was “unprepared” for the reaction that she received after being disavowed by her own party.

"I didn't expect the backlash and misunderstanding to be so swift,” Chow said, adding that she believes said misunderstanding is one that comes from "a difficulty to reconcile how the traditional Christian worldview can espouse love and validity for all individuals and yet disagree with certain identities or choices.”

“At the end of the day, it's a belief in objective truth,” Chow explained.

Isabella Chow says she has no intentions of resigning. She said, "There's a Christian community and campus that has been praying for me and encouraging me throughout all this. And if I don't represent their views, who else will?"

1 - Asylum for Asia

Asia Bibi, who has been set free by the Pakistani Supreme Court after being jailed and facing a death sentence under charges of blasphemy, is trying to keep a low profile in the face of protests against the ruling.  And, there is talk about her seeking asylum, but so far, there are no takers.

According to the BBC, "Asia's husband Ashiq Masih called for the UK to grant his family refuge amid fears for their safety after the Pakistan Supreme Court overturned her continued detention." The website reports there are "seven church leaders" who have signed "an open letter which has been sent to Home Secretary Sajid Javid urging him to grant her asylum."

Also, in Pakistan, some are attempting to check the high court ruling for "errors," according to Faithwire, which states that:

...while her own government seeks to put her on its Exit Control List (ECL), a petition has been lodged by those same religious fundamentalists in a bid to identify “errors” in the Supreme Court ruling – an appeal that the government has agreed not to obstruct. Should the review conclude that the Supreme Court was erroneous in its ruling, Bibi could find herself thrown back into prison, and may be swiftly placed on death row once again.

And, how about the possibility of Asia Bibi coming to America?  Politico reports that Senator Rand Paul has said, “I have talked to the president about this, and I can't characterize his position, but I know from his concern for the pastor in Turkey and working to get that pastor out that it would be consistent with what they did with the pastor in Turkey to help get Asia Bibi out, and I hope they will..."

The 3 - November 11, 2018

This week's edition of The 3, highlighting three stories of relevance to the Christian community, literally brings news from around the world, including the perseverance of Christian leaders in Nigeria in light of the kidnapping of a Christian teen and Christian aid worker by an Islamic fundamentalist organization.  Closer to home, religious freedom protections now are seemingly baked into the latest rules governing the Obamacare contraception mandate.  And, pro-life perspectives seemed to come into play in the recent mid-tern elections.

3 -  Nigerian church declares vigilance regarding kidnapped teen

You may be familiar with the story of 15-year-old Leah Sharibu from Nigeria, who was abducted along with over 100 female students back in Feburary.  According to Morning Star News, Leah was "not released with the others because she refused to convert to Islam, will never be freed because Boko Haram’s Islamic law allows “infidels” to be kept as slaves, according to a statement by the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), commonly known as Boko Haram."

Boko Haram announced recently that it would hold Leah, along with a "Christian UNICEF worker Alice Ngaddah," as slaves. The article said this about Alice: "Kidnapped along with two other aid workers in March, Ngaddah is a member of the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria (EYN)." The story  states that, "Boko Haram last month killed an aid worker as an 'apostate' from Islam and vowed to keep Leah and Ngaddah as slaves."

But Nigeria church leaders are continuing to persevere. Morning Star News relates:

Leaders of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) have intensified discussions with government officials urging that they continue talks with Boko Haram to win the release of 15-year-old Leah Sharibu and other Christian girls and women being held captive by Boko Haram, an ECWA spokesman told Morning Star News.

Rev. Romanus Ebenwokodi is quoted as saying, “We strongly believe that as long as Leah and others are still alive, it is possible to secure their release.” He added, "The church and Leah’s parents believe that God can make it possible for Leah and others in captivity to regain their freedom if we don’t give up...The hope in Jesus Christ, which is the hope of glory, has kept Leah’s parents going and sustained the church on her knees. We shall continue to pray without ceasing until this faithful servant of Christ and others like her who are being held captive are released.”
 
2 - Religious freedom protections from HHS contraception mandate issued

Believe it or not, it was 2011 when the Department of Health and Human Services in the previous Administration announced its mandate that employers provide free contraception and abortion-inducing drugs as part of their health care plans.  Numerous lawsuits were filed by for-profit businesses and non-profit organizations.  The Hobby Lobby case granted exemptions for certain companies, but there have been a variety of court rulings regarding charitable organizations.

Baptist Press reports that:

The Trump administration issued two final rules Nov. 7 that supply conscience protections to Americans with a religious or moral objection to the 2011 mandate instituted under President Obama. 

One of the rules, according to the article, "finalized 'interim final' rules issued in October 2017." This rule "exempts entities and individuals from the requirement based on their religious beliefs, while the other rule protects individuals, nonprofit organizations and small businesses on the basis of a moral conviction apart from a specific religious belief."

Also, according to the article:

On the same day as the release of the final mandate regulations, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a proposed rule also affecting abortion coverage. The rule requires health plan issuers in the exchanges created by the 2010 Affordable Care Act to collect separately funds for elective abortion and thereby prevent taxpayers from subsidizing plans that cover abortion, according to the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC).

The story also says:

Cases out of California and Pennsylvania involving the Little Sisters of the Poor, however, are still under appeal. The Little Sisters of the Poor is a Roman Catholic order that serves the poverty-stricken elderly and became the face of the institutions objecting to the mandate.

Mark Rienzi -- president of Becket, a nonprofit religious freedom law firm representing the Little Sisters of the Poor -- said in a written release, "This long unnecessary culture war is now almost over -- all that is left is for state governments to admit that there are many ways to deliver these services without nuns, and the Little Sisters can return to serving the elderly poor in peace."

1 - Pro-life voters seemingly have impact in mid-term election

No matter what a person's political persuasion might be, he or she might have found some things to like and plenty to dislike about the outcome of the mid-term elections.  Congress will have split leadership in the House and Senate; there are already statements out there that House leadership will pursue investigations regarding the President and Administration officials, and the Senate will continue to have a majority that should enable the confirmation of judges generally in line philosophically with those who have already been confirmed, including Supreme Court members Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.  It could also help the President with confirmation of various Cabinet-level and other Administration officials, such the replacement for UN Ambassador Nikki Haley and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions.

The Senate outcome has yielded positive comments from some in the pro-life movement, according to a story on the LifeSiteNews.com website.  The story stated:

“Yesterday was a clear victory for the pro-life movement,” Susan B. Anthony List president Marjorie Dannenfelser claimed, while adding that pro-lifers “cannot be complacent” and “must be prepared to fight to hold the line on important pro-life policies such as the Hyde Amendment.” Family Research Council president Tony Perkins stressed that “most presidents lose seats in the House and Senate in the first midterm election,” but Trump “defied history” by “expanding the GOP majority in the Senate.”

March for Life president Jeanne Mancini struck a different tone, however, warning that “all pro-life gains made by this Administration will come under fire, and we will no doubt see efforts to expand taxpayer funding for abortion as well as the erosion of conscience rights.”

Bruce Hausknecht of Focus on the Family, in an interview for The Meeting House on Faith Radio, discussed the confirmation of strict constructionist judges.  This could have an impact regarding the protection of unborn babies.  But, as he points out, the composition of the House will likely impede any positive action on life and religious liberty.  Bruce and I discussed the apparent losses by four Democratic Senators in states that went for Trump in 2016, all of whom voted against the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh.  Those four were: Florida (if the recount holds up), Indiana, Missouri, and North Dakota.

In other pro-life news, state voters in Alabama and West Virginia approved pro-life amendments, prompting Tony Perkins to say, according to the FRC website: "Consider that voters in West Virginia and Alabama approved pro-life ballot measures and polls show nearly two-thirds of Americans oppose the government’s forcing taxpayers to fund abortion. There is simply no groundswell of support for forcing taxpayers to become indentured servants to the abortion industry."

The 3 - November 4, 2018

This week's edition of The 3 offers news and information relative to a visit by evangelical leaders to Saudi Arabia.  Also, there has been concern expressed by believers in New Zealand about a political leaders removal of references to Jesus in prayer before the body.  And, a Pakistani woman facing the death penalty for blasphemy was released by the nation's highest court.

3 - Evangelical delegation meets with Saudi leaders

Even before the mysterious disappearance of a Saudi journalist in Turkey, there were plans underway for a delegation of representatives of the evangelical community to visit with Saudi officials, including the Crown Prince.  And, according to CBN.com, a leader of the delegation, author and commentator Joel Rosenberg, believed the trip should go forward as planned.

The article states:

"There’s a lot of people who would say this is the wrong time to go to Saudi Arabia and meet with the leadership there," author Joel Rosenberg told CBN News. "I understand that criticism, but I disagree."

He added, "Given the fact that we care about the people of Saudi Arabia, Christianity in the Arabian Peninsula, the desire to see more freedom of worship, even Christian churches being allowed to be built, this all seemed important to us to do..."

Jerry Johnson, President of National Religious Broadcasters, is quoted as saying, "When I think of Saudi Arabia, I think of that verse, 'We are ambassadors for Christ. That’s Who we are representing, not the United States of America. We’re representing the Lord Jesus Christ...'"

The article notes:

This is the latest in a series of meetings with Sunni Arab leaders, including Jordan's King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and UAD Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The meetings are part of a long-term agenda.

2 - New Zealand removes Christian language from government prayer; Christians protest

Late last year, the speaker of the Parliament in New Zealand made the decision to remove references to Jesus in prayer before the body.  The Christian Post relates that the new speaker, Trevor Mallard, "...decided to remove all references to Christ in the prayer, describing it as a 'compromise,' as the phrase 'almighty God' remains."

The Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, who is said to be "not religious," was reportedly supportive of the move, saying, "I think that having the prayer in itself sets a good tone for Parliament, but it has been done in a way that the speaker has tried to make a bit more inclusive..."

The article says that Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters...

...said that the entire parliament should have been allowed to decide whether to remove Jesus' name from the prayer.

"Well the decision as to what should be changed should be made by parliamentarians and not the speaker — that's our position, I don't mind telling you publicly," Peters said.

The Post reports that, "Christians have rallied on a number of occasions over the issue," and that includes this past week, when some one thousand people gathered in protest. Ross Smith led the protest and "told Radio New Zealand that the country's Christian heritage should not be erased." He is quoted as saying, "It's a legacy. The principals and the values that are in this nation are based on our Christian-Judea roots..."

1 - Pakistan high court frees woman charged with blasphemy

Just before the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church was commemorated on Sunday, a victim of persecution in Pakistan was released.  Her name is Asia Bibi, and she had been sentenced to death back in 2010, according to Open Doors, which reported that the Pakistani Supreme Court had released her.  The report states:

According to the official ruling, the prosecution has categorically failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. The judges quoted extensively from the Quran and other Islamic scriptures, saying among other things that non-Muslims were to be dealt with kindly.

Another report on the website relates that she...

.... was arrested in June 2009 after a dispute with some Muslim women. She was accused of blasphemy and sentenced to death by hanging in 2010. Ever since she was held on death row.

Most of the past eight years Asia Bibi has spent in solitary confinement.

Even though Open Doors reports that Asia Bibi is in hiding because of safety concerns, there are widespread protests.  The website says:

Meanwhile, protests have erupted in many cities around Pakistan, and the government has a hard time controlling the situation. It prompted newly elected Prime Minister Khan to air a brief video message in which he warned groups who have railed against the Supreme Court’s ruling. Pakistan was founded “in the name of Islam” and the verdict given by the Supreme Court is in accordance with the Constitution, which is in line with the teachings of the Holy Quran and Sunnah (traditional practice of the Islamic community based on the teachings of the Islamic prophet Muhammad), Khan said. He sharply criticized the protests.

There was concern expressed by an Open Doors partner that the Prime Minister's message did not offer comfort to Christians who are concerned about their security.

And, Faithwire reports that:

The Pakistani government has been widely criticized for striking a deal with radical Islamic clerics and agreeing to prevent Christian mother Asia Bibi from leaving the country, despite her Supreme Court acquittal for blasphemy. The action, taken by Prime Minister Imran Khan in response to increasingly explosive protests at the ruling, will entail the pursuit of legal proceedings to place Asia Bibi on the “exit control list” (ECL).