The 3 - December 30, 2018

This week's edition of The 3, recognizing three stories of relevance to the Christian community, there is news of Christian persecution in Iran leading up to Christmas.  Also, the marriage of a well-known Christian women's speaker has been reconciled.  And, a Christian organization has faced negative action from a large technology company.

3 - Iranian Christians receive warning at Christmas

As Christians worldwide have celebrated our Savior's birth, we remember those who have faced death and other forms of persecution during this season leading up to Christmas. Faithwire reports during early December that "Iranian authorities have arrested more than 100 Christians as part of the government’s fresh crackdown on those who have left the Islamic faith and embraced Jesus. Reports indicate that many of the 114 detained were converts from Islam to Christianity, and were thus accused of 'proselytising.'"

Converting to Christianity is illegal in Iran, and those who do so could face over 10 years in prison, according to the article, which relates these arrests came shortly after the reinstating of sanctions by the U.S. against the nation.

The story states that the Telegraph quoted Jeff King, president of International Christian Concern, as saying, “There are many reports that [the sanctions] have contributed to the government’s ever-increasing dependence on hardline Islamic ayatollahs, who naturally see Christianity as a threat to their power..."

2 - Well-known Christian teacher's marriage is reconciled

It was a stunning piece of news when Proverbs 31 Ministries President Lysa TerKeurst announced in the summer of 2017 that she had separated from her husband, but Baptist Press shared good news of reconciliation recently; Lysa and husband, Art, renewed their vows at their North Carolina home in mid-December.

The article says that:

"On an unusually sunny Tuesday in December, we dressed up a bit and whispered healing words, heartfelt prayers, and holy vows," she posted on social media platforms after the Dec. 11 event. "A million prayers. A miracle answer. A marriage restored."

Her husband was, according to the story, "repeatedly unfaithful and abused substances." The article goes on to say that she wrote, "Never doubt we serve a God who still does miracles," adding, "In the middle of the work He did from the devastation in my marriage, nothing looked like I hoped and everything felt impossible." She continued, "But all the while when I saw nothing, God was doing something," and added, "And in His way and His timing, new life came. … God does some of His best work in the unseen."

1 - Apple removes app from ministry helping homosexuals discover freedom in Christ

One of the leading stories of 2018 involves the censorship of Christians by large technology companies, and recently, the dubious spotlight shone on Apple, which has reportedly removed an app by the organization, Living Hope Ministries, according to The Christian Post, which stated that:

NBC News reported that the tech giant removed the app that was developed by Living Hope Ministries, a Texas-based organization, following a Change.org petition from gay rights group Truth Wins Out. The petition called the "ex-gay" app "dangerous," "bigoted" and "hateful."

"The app falsely portrays being gay as an 'addiction', 'sickness', and 'sin,'" the petition argued.

Living Hope executive director Ricky Chalette is quoted as saying that the organization is "saddened" by the removal by Apple, as well as Microsoft, but vowed their work will move forward. He says:

"We are a ministry that for nearly thirty years has helped individuals resolve their feelings they deem incongruent with their faith. We help people deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ through Bible study and accountability. We walk with them to align their lives with the teachings of Jesus Christ. Through support groups they realize they are not alone and are able to share honestly and openly in a noncondemning atmosphere about their struggles, passions, and victories. From chaos and confusion they often find peace, hope, and a deeper sense of personal wholeness. Our ministry is free and strictly voluntary."

The 3 - December 23, 2018

This week's edition of The 3 includes an announcement by a major coffee restaurant chain that it will attempt to block porn from being accessible at its locations beginning next year.  Also, a New York adoption agency is fighting back in court after being threatened by a state agency for its policy on not allowing gay couples to adopt children.  And, even though Ohio's governor has vetoed a bill banning abortion once an unborn baby's heartbeat is detected, it is the latest state to have a law banning "dismemberment" abortions; Alabama is appealing an appeals court ruling striking down its ban.

3 - Starbucks announces it will filter porn on wi-fi

It may be more difficult to access pornography at Starbucks stores beginning next year, but an advocacy group has accused the coffee chain of breaking an earlier promise, according to a story on the Business Insider website, which reports that:

Next year, the coffee giant plans to introduce a new tool meant to prevent customers from viewing pornography or other explicit content in stores. While watching pornography is banned at Starbucks locations, the chain does not have content blockers on its Wi-Fi service.

The anti-pornography group, Enough is Enough, has been exerting pressure on Starbucks, and the article, published in late November, points out that:

A petition from Enough Is Enough calling for Starbucks to filter pornography was signed by more than 26,000 people as of Wednesday. Earlier this week, Enough Is Enough CEO Donna Rice Hughes attacked Starbucks for not following through on a commitment it made in 2016 to block explicit websites.

2 - New York attempts to force agency to allow gay adoption

There has been a concerted effort to prevent adoption agencies from denying gay couples the opportunity to adopt children.  This especially targets faith-based agencies, who would object to such placements due to their deeply-held religious beliefs against the practice of homosexuality and in favor of traditional marriage.

Another such occurrence took place in New York state recently.  The Christian Post website reports that:

The state of New York has given a Syracuse-based Christian adoption agency an ultimatum to either change their adoption policy forbidding placement with same-sex couples or no longer be able to provide adoption services, a new lawsuit details.

New Hope Family Services has filed a federal lawsuit against the acting commissioner of the state’s Office of Children and Family Services on the ground that the nonprofit could be forced to phase out its adoption program if it doesn’t change its policy prioritizing placement in homes with both a mother and a father.

Alliance Defending Freedom is representing the agency, and the director of the ADF Center for Christian Ministries, is quoted as saying: “There’s no reason for the state to single out and punish those who hold the belief that the best home for a child includes a father and a mother,” adding, “Children in Syracuse, throughout the state, and across the country will suffer if this hostility toward faith-based adoption providers becomes the status quo.”

1 - Ohio governor vetoes heartbeat bill, signs ban on dismemberment abortions, Alabama AG attempts to overturn appeals court ruing 

Ohio Governor John Kasich, for the second time during his administration, has vetoed a bill passed by the Legislature which would ban abortion on unborn children once a heartbeat is detected; this is thought to be at six or seven weeks.  However, he did sign a ban on so-called "dismemberment" abortions, according to the website, Cleveland.com.

The website states:

Under the bill, physicians could be charged with a fourth-degree felony for performing a D&E, called a "dismemberment abortion" in the bill, and spend up to 18 months in prison. The bill makes an exception only in cases where the would-be mother’s life is in jeopardy or there’s a serious risk of permanent physical impairment.

However, Kasich vetoed the heartbeat bill, and, according to the story, "In his veto message of HB258, Kasich noted his support of past abortion restrictions but asserted that the heartbeat bill would likely be struck down by the courts as unconstitutional."  He warned the state would have to expend funds to defend the law.  The veto could be overridden, and there seem to be enough votes in the House to do that, based on the final vote for the bill; however, the passage in the Senate was two votes short of a what it would take to override.

Meanwhile, Alabama has passed a bill banning dismemberment abortions, yet it was struck down by a Federal district judge, then by a panel of the 11th Circuit. Yellowhammer News reports that Attorney General Steve Marshall has appealed the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.  The website says:

“The constitutionality of a state ban on dismemberment abortion is an important question of national significance,” Marshall wrote in the brief to the Supreme Court. “At least nine states have enacted laws to ban dismemberment abortion. Litigation over some of these similar abortion laws is pending in the Fifth Circuit, the Eighth Circuit and multiple state courts.”

Marshall declared the lower courts were "wrong," and stated, "Federal law constitutionally prohibits partial-birth abortions. And there is no ‘meaningful difference’ between death-by-dismemberment abortion in the womb and partial-birth abortion outside it..."

The 3 - December 16, 2018

In this week's edition of The 3, focusing on three stories of relevance to the Christian community, there is a story out of Virginia in which a teacher was fired for not referring to a transgender person by her requested pronoun; and students have shown support for the teacher.  Also, President Trump has signed a bill that deals with religious freedom protections for those in Iraq and Syria.  And, in excess of 100 members of one church in China, including the pastor and his wife, have been arrested - the pastor had written a letter in advance of his imprisonment.

3 - Teacher fired for not calling transgender student by preferred pronoun, students walk out to show support for teacher

Peter Vlaming, until recently, was a teacher in West Point, Virginia, after he declined to call a  transgender student by the student's preferred pronoun.  According to the Christian Post website:

Following a brief suspension, Vlaming was fired after the school board accused him of engaging in “discrimination” and contributing to a “hostile learning environment.”

The teacher explained that while he agreed to use the student's chosen name, he drew the line at pronouns, as doing so violated his conscience.

The story quotes from another Christian Post story, in which Vlaming is quoted as saying, "I won't use male pronouns with a female student that now identifies as a male though I did agree to use the new masculine name but avoid female pronouns..."

And, students are siding with...Mr. Vlaming.  The original Post story reports:

Less than 24 hours after the West Point, Virginia school board unanimously voted to terminate high school French instructor Peter Vlaming, a large group of students walked out of their classes to protest the decision.

“He's an amazing man,” student Wyatt Pedersen told WWBT News. “I think he really was going with what he believed was right and it's really unfair that he’s being punished for that, especially in such a dramatic way.”

The story refers to Forrest Rohde, the student who organized the walkout, who "emphasized that the protest was not about the transgender student. Rather, he said students took issue with the school board 'trying to force the teacher to conform to their ideologies with the threat of removal from the school.'"  The article also says:

Vlaming’s attorney, Shawn Voyles, maintained that the school system was not respecting the constitutional rights of his client, but praised West Point for permitting students to participate in the walkout.

2 - President signs law protecting religious freedom in Iraq and Syria

Recently, President Trump signed into law a bill that is designed to stand with persecuted religious minorities in Iraq and Syria.  The Washington Free Beacon reported that the bill "will help channel U.S. humanitarian and rebuilding assistance to Christians, Yazidis, and other religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria who were the victims of ISIS genocide."

The report says that: "The measure...ensures that the U.S. aid may come through the federal government or other entities, including faith-based groups." The bill "also enables the State Department, in collaboration with other federal agencies, to conduct criminal investigations and apprehend individuals identified as alleged ISIS members, and to identify warning signs of genocide and threats of persecution."

And there's more: the Free Beacon states that the new law "encourages foreign governments to identify suspected Islamic State perpetrators in security databases and security screenings to assist with their capture and prosecution."

It is notable that religious groups working in the region will now be able to receive U.S. assistance.  The article says:

The piece of the legislation allowing faith-based groups working in the region to receive the U.S. aid directly changes the prior policy of the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development, which argued for a "religion-blind" policy of distributing funds mainly to the United Nations.

To hear analysis of this bill, as well as other aspects of the situation in the Middle East, you can listen to or download a conversation with Jalil Dawood of World Refugee Care here.

1 - In excess of 100 members of Chinese church arrested, pastor writes declaration about civil disobedience

On Sunday, December 9th, over a hundred members of the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, China were arrested, including its pastor, Wang Yi, and his wife, Jiang Rong, according to the China Partnership website.

The site recently published a letter from the pastor and stated:

Foreseeing this circumstance, Pastor Wang Yi wrote the declaration below to be published by his church should he be detained for more than 48 hours. In it he explains the meaning and necessity of faithful disobedience, how it is distinct from political activism or civil disobedience, and how Christians should carry it out.

The declaration was posted on his Facebook page. After affirming his respect for the authority of the Chinese government, he wrote this:

As a pastor of a Christian church, I have my own understanding and views, based on the Bible, about what righteous order and good government is. At the same time, I am filled with anger and disgust at the persecution of the church by this Communist regime, at the wickedness of their depriving people of the freedoms of religion and of conscience.

He also stated, "...I believe that this Communist regime’s persecution against the church is a greatly wicked, unlawful action. As a pastor of a Christian church, I must denounce this wickedness openly and severely. The calling that I have received requires me to use non-violent methods to disobey those human laws that disobey the Bible and God. My Savior Christ also requires me to joyfully bear all costs for disobeying wicked laws."

Pastor Wang Yi also wrote:

If I am imprisoned for a long or short period of time, if I can help reduce the authorities’ fear of my faith and of my Savior, I am very joyfully willing to help them in this way. But I know that only when I renounce all the wickedness of this persecution against the church and use peaceful means to disobey, will I truly be able to help the souls of the authorities and law enforcement. I hope God uses me, by means of first losing my personal freedom, to tell those who have deprived me of my personal freedom that there is an authority higher than their authority, and that there is a freedom that they cannot restrain, a freedom that fills the church of the crucified and risen Jesus Christ.

The 3 - December 9, 2018

This week's edition of The 3 focuses in on a large Christian women's organization that wants to see a Cabinet member removed.  Also, a family in Idaho has received a federal court ruling in a lawsuit against a homeowners' association that did not approve of a Christmas display.  And, two board members of a Christian college have resigned, citing a departure from Christian teaching.

3 - Large Christian women's organization calls for Cabinet member's resignation

There are changes in the offing for the Trump Administration, with his announced intentions to nominate William Barr as Attorney General, a position he held during the Bush 41 Administration, and Heather Nauert as U.N. Ambassador.  Plus, Chief of Staff John Kelly will be leaving his post soon.

A well-known Christian organization, Concerned Women for America, would like to see another Cabinet official replaced.  The Washington Times reports that CWA's CEO, Penny Young Nance, has called for Labor Secretary Alex Acosta's resignation. The reason, according to the report, is "his former role as a prosecutor in a plea deal for pedophile Jeffrey Epstein."

Nance, according to the story, "said she believes President Trump would not have nominated Mr. Acosta for the Cabinet post if reports by the Miami Herald had emerged earlier about Mr. Acosta’s role in the scandal in Florida." She tweeted out, “Labor trafficking is often conjoined w/ sex trafficking. I believe @SecretaryAcosta should resign..."

The Times reports:

Epstein’s lawyers got an extremely favorable deal in 2007 from Mr. Acosta, the prosecutor at the time, who agreed to allow him to serve a short sentence in the county prison and obtain daily work-release for up to 12 hours per day.

2 - Residents win court fight over Christmas display

It can be very discouraging when you see the celebration of Christmas used as a source of division.  We have seen that occur in schools, displays on government property, and in one case in Idaho, in a neighborhood.

WORLD Magazine reported on a family from Idaho that had moved into a particular neighborhood in Coeur d'Alene and was told by the local homeowners' association that they would have to cease their five-night Christmas display.  The article says:

Before moving to their current home in the West Hayden neighborhood of Coeur d’Alene, the Morrises began holding a public Christmas program in their front yard, complete with an elaborate lights display, live music, actors, and animals to share the story of the birth of Jesus. They paid for the event out-of-pocket, did not charge for admission, and gave all donations to local charities benefiting childhood cancer victims and providing safe haven for children suffering abuse.

When the family decided to buy a new home in West Hayden, Jeremy Morris contacted the local homeowners association saying he intended to continue offering the program at their new home. In early 2015, the HOA board sent a letter saying he would have to scrap the Christmas event if he bought a West Hayden home.

The Morrises continued their display at the new home and even expanded.  This drew the ire of some neighbors who, according to the article, "...became vigilantes, reportedly throwing snowballs at buses hired to transport attendees, yelling 'Get out, this is our neighborhood,' and kicking cars."  There was even a reported death threat. 

Morris went to court; he filed a lawsuit against the homeowners' association for "religious discrimination and property right violations." And, as WORLD reported, a federal jury "unanimously ruled in favor of Jeremy and Kristy Morris in late October, awarding them $75,000 in damages and concluding a four-year dispute with the couple’s homeowners association."  The Morrises now plan to leave their West Hayden neighborhood.

1 - Christian university trustees resign over perceived drift on theology

There's more trouble out of a Christian college out of California.  Last September, CBN News reported that "the university came under fire after reversing its policy on banning public LGBTQ relationships on campus after caving in to pressure from activists. However, the Board of Trustees said they never approved the change and have reinstated the policy."  The Board said in a statement:
"That action concerning romanticized relationships was never approved by the board and the original wording has been reinstated."

Now, there's more controversy at the school: CBN News now reports that:

Two members of the board of trustees of Azusa Pacific University, (APU) the first Christian college on the West Coast, resigned last week, arguing the major evangelical university has "drifted" from its mission and that its new ideology is at odds with many of its policies, statement of faith, and even the Bible itself.

The story says that "WND (formerly WorldNetDaily) reports Raleigh Washington, a prominent pastor known for his leadership of the Promise Keepers men's movement, and Dave Dias, a Sacramento-area business executive submitted their letters of resignation to Azusa's board of trustees."

Washington said to WND: "What happened with the student handbook was an indication of a bigger problem that exists, and that problem is theological drift from what is required of an evangelical Christian university," a statement with which Dias agreed. Board chair David Poole, in a statement to CBN News, said, "Despite the assertions made by those who resigned, the board stands united in our commitment to our evangelical Christian identity."

The 3 - December 2, 2018

This week's edition of The 3 highlights these three stories of relevance to the Christian community.  They are: a significant meeting with the President of Nigeria and church leaders to discuss violence involving Islamic militants.  Also, a New Jersey university, despite student interest, has chosen not to allow a restaurant chain which is based on Christian values, to operate there.  And, a Department of Justice official has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to issue a ruling on transgenders serving in the military.

3 - Nigerian church leaders meet with country's president

According to a church leader in Nigeria, in one state alone, the Plateau state, since March, over 600 Christians have been killed, presumably by Islamic militants - that is what Dacholom Datiri, president of the Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN) told Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari in a meeting last month, according to Morning Star News.

And, Datiri disputes the popular narrative that, these people are killed by unknown gunmen, or suspected herdsmen, or that there have been farmer-herders clashes,” adding, “All these are deceptive narratives deliberately framed to conceal the truth and continue to perpetrate the evil.”

The story says that Datiri related that, "The truth, he said, is that Muslim Fulani militias heavily armed with sophisticated guns, including AK47s, machine guns, and rocket-propelled grenades have attacked and killed Christians."  

And that death toll doesn't count people in other parts of Nigeria who have been attacked by militant groups such as Boko Haram. Datiri also questioned the commitment of the military to keeping Christians safe; he said, "Are we to believe that the armed forces sent to keep peace go with the instructions to protect them?” He added, “The implication is that they protect the aggressors and leave the victims mercilessly helpless.”

The story also reports:

For his part, Plateau Gov. Simon Lalong reportedly faulted Muslim and other community leaders for compounding the crisis of violence in the state by hiding criminals.

Buhari, a Fulani Muslim, responded to the Christian leaders by saying he did not doubt COCIN’s report on the atrocities committed against their communities.

“The communities (in Plateau) have lived long enough to know that there is nothing they can do without each other than to live together in harmony,” Buhari said. “As leaders, we must persuade the upcoming generation using every channel, particularly the educational institutions, to live together with our neighbors.”

Christian and Muslim leaders have to work harder to convince the upcoming generation that they must live together in the same country, Buhari said.

2 - Restaurant chain banned from university in values clash

The students at Rider University, which is located in New Jersey, were asked which fast-food chain they would like to have locate on their campus.  But, as FoxNews.com stated: "...once it became clear students were craving Chick-fil-A, the university excluded the option, citing concerns over the company’s attitudes towards the LGBTQ community."  The Fox story stated:

The school said in a statement that the Chick-fil-A option was removed “based on the company's record widely perceived to be in opposition to the LGBTQ community.

It admitted that the move could be perceived as a “form of exclusion,” but the institution wanted to remain “faithful to our values of inclusion.”

This is yet another example of people who claim to be "inclusive," yet exclude points of view with which they disagree.  This, of course, stems from Chick-fil-A's CEO Dan Cathy and his comments a number of years ago in support of traditional marriage.  But, I have yet to see a report in which a Chick-fil-A restaurant denies service to anyone because of his or her views on same-sex marriage or to people who practice homosexuality.  (How would they even do that?)  In fact, the article says:

"Chick-fil-A is a restaurant company focused on food, service and hospitality, and our restaurants and licensed locations on college campuses welcome everyone. We have no policy of discrimination against any group, and we do not have a political or social agenda," the restaurant's spokesperson told CBS News.

1 - Administration requests swift action on transgenders serving in the military

The question of whether or not transgender individuals should be allowed to serve in the U.S. military is quite an important one, and the nation's Solicitor General has asked the Supreme Court to fast-track its response on two important cases, according to a report on the Breitbart.com website, that reports that the President, in July 2017, attempted to reverse his predecessor's policy change to allow transgenders to serve.  The story continues, stating that the Department of Defense, "formulated a policy allowing some transgender individuals but not others. On December 2017, a federal district judge issued a nationwide injunction blocking DOD’s policy across the country."

The article says that Defense Secretary James Mattis "conducted a study, modifying the original assessment and recommending that some transgender individuals can serve, but those with a history of gender dysphoria that results in expensive gender-reassignment surgery and others therapies that render them unable to serve for significant lengths of time should not be able to serve in uniform."

The story continues:

In March 2018, President Trump adopted that recommended policy. On April 13, 2018, a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington [State] refused to lift the preliminary injunction blocking the first version of the policy. The District of Columbia federal court likewise refused to lift its identical injunction on August 6 and the Central District of California did the same on September 18.

Those courts are in two circuits that are noted in the article to be "two of the most liberal courts in the nation, and widely expected to affirm the lower courts’ blocking of the policy."

Solicitor General Noel Francisco has asked the high court to, "bypass two federal appeals courts and render a final decision on President Donald Trump’s military transgender policy by summer 2019."