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.