The 3 - April 28, 2019

In this week's edition of The 3, with three stories of relevance to the Christian community, there is good news out of the United Methodist Church, as the judicial body of the denomination has upheld the majority of the Traditional Plan approved at a special General Conference two months ago.  Also, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to take three cases that involve attempts to redefine the word "sex" in civil rights law to mean gender identity.  And, the landscape of Christian foster care is changing, as government officials are attempting to force agencies to place children in LGBT households; two recent actions have gone against Christian agencies.

United Methodist council paves way for most of Traditional Plan to move forward

Even though the United Methodist Church, in a special General Conference in February, affirmed a plan that would continue to describe homosexuality as "incompatible with Christian teaching" and would prevent same-sex marriage and gay ordination in the Church, the actions of the Conference still had to pass through the denomination's Judicial Council.  According to ReligionNews.com, the Council ruled on Friday, April 26, reporting...

...Approved by delegates to a special session of the United Methodist Church’s General Conference in February, the Traditional Plan strengthens language in the denomination’s Book of Discipline that bars LGBTQ clergy and forbids same-sex marriage.

That rulebook currently states that “the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching” and that “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” cannot be ordained as ministers, appointed to serve or be married in the church.

The Traditional Plan, as upheld by a Judicial Council decision announced Friday (April 26), defines a “self-avowed practicing homosexual” as a person who is “living in a same-sex marriage, domestic partnership or civil union or is a person who publicly states she or he is a practicing homosexual.”

Not all of the plan was upheld, with seven out of seventeen petitions being ruled unconstitutional.  But, apparently the heart of the proposal remained intact.  Religion News also reports that, "In a separate ruling Friday, the Judicial Council upheld an 'exit plan' that allows churches to leave the denomination with their property over decisions made at the special session."

Mark Tooley of the Institute on Religion and Democracy sees this as a key element, writing: "The biggest news from the Judicial Council meeting was the affirmation of exits for dissenting congregations. Many liberals had initially assumed that traditionalists backed this legislation to facilitate their own departure. Only later did many realize it was actually aimed at dissident congregations." Tooley pointed out that, "Reaffirmation of most of the Traditional Plan was not surprising, since the Judicial Council has already reviewed it in October 2018 and during General Conference in February."

High court to review cases regarding gender identity and civil rights

For some time, there have been attempts to redefine language in civil rights law concerning, "sex," to actually mean "gender identity."  The U.S. Supreme Court has announced that it will weigh in on that issue.  The Alliance Defending Freedom website reports that the Court will take up three cases centered around that issue, including one of its clients.  It reports:

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit ruled that the federal government can force R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes and its owner, Thomas Rost, to allow a male employee who identifies as female to dress in women’s clothing when meeting with the deceased’s grieving family members and friends, in violation of the family business’s sex-specific dress code. In so doing, the court redefined “sex” in Title VII to conflict with the word’s well-understood meaning since the law’s enactment in 1964. Title VII is a federal law intended to ensure equal opportunities in employment, regardless of a person’s race, religion, national origin, or sex.

The appeals court overturned a lower district court ruling; the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission had challenged that ruling and filed suit against the funeral home.  Attorney John Bursch of ADF is quoted as saying, "Businesses have the right to rely on what the law is—not what government agencies want it to be—when they create and enforce employment policies. The funeral home wants to serve families mourning the loss of a loved one, but the EEOC has elevated its political goals above the interests of the grieving people that the funeral home serves.”

Government officials change face of Christian foster care placement

Christian foster care agencies have faced pressure to place children in families that are headed by gay couples, and recent action has not gone well for some agencies.  A ChristianityToday.com story reported on a case involved Bethany Christian Services, which, as the result of a new policy implemented by Michigan's attorney general, will begin to place children with same-sex couples in that state.  The article says:

When Michigan’s attorney general declared this month that foster agencies contracting with the government can no longer decline to work with LGBT families, Bethany opted to change its longstanding policy rather than lose the opportunity to help find homes for the thousands of vulnerable children who live there.

A spokesman stated, "We are disappointed with how this settlement agreement has been implemented by the state government. Nonetheless, Bethany will continue operations in Michigan, in compliance with our legal contract requirements,” adding, "We are focused on demonstrating the love of Jesus Christ by serving children in need, and we intend to continue doing so in Michigan.”

The policy is being challenged in court; the article quotes Lori Windham of Becket: "The Michigan Attorney General and the ACLU are trying to stop the state from working with faith-based adoption agencies,” adding, “The result of that will be tragic. Thousands of children will be kept from finding the loving homes they deserve.” Becket represents St. Vincent Catholic Charities, which was sued by the ACLU. 

Windham has another client in another state that is facing opposition, Catholic Social Services in Philadelphia. Christianity Today reports that "a federal appeals court ruled against the Catholic agency, which argued that the city’s decision to drop its foster care contract violated its religious freedom. By refusing to place children in its care—about 120 at a time—with LGBT couples, the agency’s policies violated LGBT protections under Philadelphia’s Fair Practices Ordinance, the court ruled."

The Christian Post also reported on the Philadelphia ruling, saying that, "the city government moved to force faith-based adoption and foster agencies with limitations on same-sex placement to change their policies to comply with the city’s nondiscrimination laws protecting on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity or halt their adoption and foster programs." Catholic Social Services refused to change its policy; the other, Bethany Christian Services of Greater Delaware Valley, did change, according to the Post.