The 3 - September 29, 2019

This week's edition of The 3, featuring three stories of relevance to the Christian community, includes a speech on religious freedom given to the United Nations by the U.S. President.  Also, a faith-based adoption agency, which had been protected by law from having to place children with same-sex couples, received a positive court ruling.  And, a Christian organization at the Duke University campus has lost its standing because of its policy on sexuality.

U.S. President defends religious freedom at United Nations

While climate change stole the headlines at the United Nations General Assembly last week and the media put the spotlight on matters related to impeachment, the President began the week speaking loudly on religious freedom at the U.N.

ChristianHeadlines.com reports that Vice President Mike Pence stated that President Trump "was the first American president to hold a meeting at the U.N. on religious persecution."  The President said:
“The United States is founded on the principle that our rights do not come from government; they come from God,” adding, “This immortal truth is proclaimed in our Declaration of Independence and enshrined in the First Amendment to our Constitution’s Bill of Rights. Our Founders understood that no right is more fundamental to a peaceful, prosperous and virtuous society than the right to follow one's religious convictions." He said that the U.S...

"...calls upon the nations of the world to end religious persecution, to stop the crimes against people of faith, release prisoners of conscience, repeal laws restricting freedom of religion and belief [and] protect the vulnerable, the defenseless and the oppressed.”

Also, at the meeting, the President "announced $25 million in funding to protect religious freedom and religious sites around the world," in addition to asking "the world’s governments to join together to end religious persecution." He also, according to the article, "announced an initiative comprised of a "coalition of U.S. businesses for the protection of religious freedom.'"

Faith-based adoption agency in Michigan receives court boost

Religious freedom was a driving force in a lawsuit filed by a faith-based adoption agency called St. Vincent Church Catholic Charities, which, because of its belief in the sanctity of marriage, will not "assess and recommend" same-sex couples "as qualified to adopt or foster," as the Daily Citizen from Focus on the Family reports.  St. Vincent will provide adoption or foster care services to same-sex couples and even place children in those types of homes if the state or another agency deems them the couples are qualified.

In 2015, the state of Michigan, where St. Vincent is located, passed a law, according to the Daily Citizen, "guaranteeing the religious freedom of adoption and foster care agencies against government discrimination."  But when Attorney General Dana Nessel, a lesbian, won the office in 2018, she then entered into an arrangement with the ACLU to not enforce the law.

St. Vincent sued, and this past week, a Federal judge, Robert Jonker, put an attempt to pull St. Vincent's license on hold. The judge wrote, “Defendant Nessel is at the very heart of the case,” adding, "She referred to proponents of the 2015 law as ‘hate-mongers’ and said the only purpose of the 2015 law was ‘discriminatory animus.’ She described the 2015 law as ‘indefensible’ during her campaign. These statements raise a strong inference of a hostility toward a religious viewpoint.”  As the Daily Citizen points out, this is similar to the admonition of a Colorado Civil Rights board in the Masterpiece Cakeshop ruling, citing "religious hostility" toward baker Jack Phillips. 

Judge Jonker issued a preliminary injunction, meaning no action can be taken against St. Vincent before a trial is held, a trial in which the judge thinks the agency is likely to prevail.

Campus Christian organization at Duke fails to receive "official status"

The Christian organization Young Life has a rich history in ministering to students. ReligionNews.com, in a recent story, states:

Young Life, which is based in Colorado Springs, is a 78-year-old organization with a mission to introduce adolescents to Christianity and help them grow in their faith. It has chapters in middle schools, high schools and colleges in all 50 states and more than 90 countries around the world.

However, Young Life has run afoul of the gatekeepers of the Student Government Senate at Duke University, which has refused recognition of the ministry as an official student group.  Why?  Not a surprise; the story says, "...the student government objected to a clause in Young Life’s sexuality policy. After the student government was told the organization would not change its sexuality policy, it rejected the group."  What's the "objectionable policy?"  According to the article:

The Young Life policy states: “We do not in any way wish to exclude persons who engage in sexual misconduct or who practice a homosexual lifestyle from being recipients of ministry of God’s grace and mercy as expressed in Jesus Christ. We do, however, believe that such persons are not to serve as staff or volunteers in the mission and work of Young Life.”

The chapter "...appeared to violate a guideline that every Duke student group include a nondiscrimination statement in its constitution."  Upholding Biblical truth on sexuality is viewed as "discrimination," so Young Life is out, and the article speculates that, unlike public universities that have mishandled similar cases and violated First Amendment protections, because Duke is a private institution, it may not have the "same obligations."

The 3 - September 22, 2019

In this week's edition of The 3, highlighting three stories of relevance to the Christian community, there is another court decision, this time out of Arizona, that upholds the religious freedom rights of creative professionals.  Also, New York City is reconsidering its prohibition on counseling that would help overcome same-sex attraction, as well as gender identity issues.  And, in China, there has been action taken by the government to replace the 10 Commandments with quotes from the President there.

AZ artists win decision from state's high court in religious freedom case

Joanna Duka and Breanna Koski are artists who run Brush and Nib Studio in Phoenix, Arizona, and according to the Alliance Defending Freedom website, they "specialize in creating custom artwork using hand painting, hand lettering, and calligraphy to celebrate weddings and other events." They were concerned that a Phoenix ordinance would make them "celebrate and promote same-sex marriage in violation of their beliefs, even when they decide what art they create based on the art’s message, not the requester’s personal characteristics."

And, as ADF states, "The ordinance also bans them from publicly communicating what custom artwork they can and cannot create consistent with their faith." Their refusal to create art that violates their beliefs could have actually resulted in jail time, fines, and probation. Duka and Koski filed a lawsuit against the city, and on Monday, September 16, the Arizona Supreme Court ruled...

...that the city of Phoenix cannot use a criminal law to force two artists to design and create custom wedding invitations expressing messages that conflict with their core beliefs. Such coercion, the court held, would violate the fundamental principle that "an individual has autonomy over his or her speech and thus may not be forced to speak a message he or she does not wish to say."

ADF Senior Counsel Jonathan Scruggs said, "Joanna and Breanna will now be able to create custom wedding invitations and to communicate about their beliefs without fear of government punishment, as any artist should be free to do. This isn’t just a victory for them. It’s a victory for everyone.”

New York considers repeal of ban on counseling to overcome same-sex attraction

The New York City Council, in 2017, passed a law that would prohibit counseling to overcome unwanted same-sex attraction and issues concerning gender identity, according to a piece on the Liberty Counsel website. The legal advocacy organization, on its website, states: "The citywide ordinance is unprecedented in that it applies to adults who are voluntarily seeking counsel. The constitutionality of the ban is being challenged by a lawsuit. If the challenge reaches the Supreme Court, the City Council fears an 'unfavorable outcome' for the counseling ban that could block similar laws across the country..."

Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel, is quoted as saying: “The law is a gross intrusion into the fundamental rights of counselors and clients. Every person should have access to the counselor of his or her choice. No government has the authority to prohibit a form of counseling simply because it does not like the religious or moral beliefs of a particular counselor or client..."  Staver believes that it is "only a matter of time" until one of these bans is "struck down" by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The website notes that "Liberty Counsel is currently challenging counseling bans in Florida, Maryland, New Jersey, and California."

Chinese officials taking steps to replace 10 Commandments with quotes from President

The Chinese Communist Party, in some areas of China, is taking steps to place its own restrictive stamp on the practice of Christianity, even in the government-sanctioned "Three-Self" churches. The Christian Post reports that:

Churches across China’s central province of Henan have been forced to replace the Ten Commandments with President Xi Jinping’s quotes amid pressure from the government.

That's according to the publication, Bitter Winter, which, according to the Post article, "reports that the Ten Commandments have been removed from nearly every Three-Self church and meeting venue in a county of Luoyang city and replaced with the president’s quotes as part of the Chinese Communist Party’s efforts to 'sinicize' Christianity."  The article quotes from a pastor, who told Bitter Winter that:

“The government’s first step is to prohibit religious couplets. Then it dismantles crosses and starts to implement the ‘four requirements’ by ordering the national flag and ‘core socialist values’ to be placed in churches,” the pastor said. “Surveillance cameras to monitor believers and religious activities are then installed. The last step is to replace the Ten Commandments with Xi Jinping’s speeches.”

The 3 - September 15, 2019

This week's edition of The 3 focuses on a pastor in Myanmar who had faced criminal charges as the result of sharing concerns about religious persecution with the President while in America at the recent religious freedom ministerial.  Also, there's more fallout to report about the endorsement of Bring Your Bible to School Day by NFL quarterback Drew Brees.  Plus, in a sickening discovery, the remains of over 2,000 aborted babies were found at the Illinois home of an abortionist who died recently.

Pastor who pleaded with Trump gets reprieve

A pastor in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, has had charges against him dropped in a case involving comments he made to President Trump while in the U.S. attending the recent religious freedom ministerial, according to The Christian Post.  Rev. Hkalam Samson, president of the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC), in a session that was streamed online, stated:

“I’m ... from Baptist Convention from Northern Burma. And then, as Christians in Myanmar, we are very been oppressed and tortured by the Myanmar military government,” Samson said.

“And then, we don’t have chance, many, for religious freedom. And also, ethnic armed groups fight against the central military government. So, please, American government focus on ethnic people and the ethnic leader to get general democracy and federalism.”

Samson also thanked the Administration for sanctions that had been issued against leaders in Myanmar, the result of, as the Post states, "human rights abuses committed against the Rohingya Muslim community in the Rakhine state in 2017."

After Samson's comments, Lt. Col. Than Htike of the northern command of Myanmar had filed a criminal complaint against him, but it was withdrawn last week. The judge in the case, Than Tun, said, “Lieutenant Colonel Than Htike, who had filed the case, submitted a request to settle and withdraw the case on Sept. 9...So the court has allowed the settlement in accordance with legal procedure[s]… Dr. Hkalam Samson has been acquitted.”

The Post article also relates:

State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said in a statement that the criminal complaint against Samson “seeks to unduly limit his freedom of expression and potentially could disrupt his critical work on behalf of tens of thousands of internally displaced people.”

The article reports that Samson stated, “Growing international [pressure] probably led to the decision.” But, a spokesman for Myanmar's military said the complaint was not withdrawn due to U.S. pressure.

Former teammate calls out Brees critics

The reaction to the endorsement of Drew Brees of a Focus on the Family initiative, Bring Your Bible to School Day, continued for a second week, which began with a Saints' Monday night victory over Houston, with Focus President Jim Daly in attendance; Focus had encouraged fans to bring their Bible to the Saints' home stadium, the Superdome, for the game.

And, a former New Orleans teammate of Brees, Benjamin Watson, had some choice words to say about the quarterback's critics. ChristianHeadlines.com reports that Watson said on Fox and Friends that an article criticizing Brees "...was misleading and a mischaracterization of Focus on the Family and of Drew. It was slanderous,” adding, "And so my response was to stop lying with those sorts of labels.”  The article continued:

It is a lie, Watson said, to label Focus on the Family “as anti-gay, anti-non discrimination.”

“It's a shame in this country right now, where if you adhere to certain biblical beliefs that we all have a right to choose what religion we adhere to, you're labeled as anti,” he added. “What Focus on the Family does is uphold marriage. Family is the basic building block of society. [Focus on the Family] upholds those things, and they're labeled [as] anti by other people. And there's an agenda there. And that's what really upset me.”

John Stonestreet, in a Breakpoint commentary, stated:

...as one blogger noted recently, any movement that spends years trying to shut down a Denver bakery and discredit a chicken sandwich restaurant is a movement that has, long ago, run out of real injustices to fight. This second-degree-of-separation guilt-by-association campaign against Brees indicates that the gatekeepers of the LGBTQ movement have moved on, and are now demanding that everything, and I mean everything—from football to business to education to politics to Stranger Things—has to be about this.

As Focus on the Family Jim Daly demonstrated so well in his response to this nonsense, Christians should resist the demand to frame every issue of life and culture around LGBTQ issues. There’s so much more to life than this.

Over two thousand bodies of aborted babies found at IN abortionist's home

Ulrick Klopfer is a former abortionist who died on September 3. His medical license had been revoked back in 2016, according to CBNNews.com, which reported that Klopfer "...had practiced abortions in South Bend, Indiana, but had a home in Will County, Illinois." Family members "going through his possessions at that Will County home" discovered the remains of unborn babies. Investigators discovered the bodies of 2,246 aborted babies.

Jeanne Mancini, President of March for Life, stated:

“This tragic case bears a strong resemblance to that of Kermit Gosnell, who was convicted of murdering born alive infants slated for abortion. Like Gosnell, Ulrich Klopfer had a long and troubling history of ‘willful, intentional and detrimental’ noncompliance with state regulations and his disregard for those regulations intended to protect women and minor girls was appalling."

According to Mancini, Klopfer had even performed an abortion on a 10-year-old and sent her back into an abusive situation.

Susan B. Anthony List President Marjorie Dannenfelser said:

“This devastating discovery proves Kermit Gosnell’s ‘House of Horrors’ was not an outlier and shows the U.S. Supreme Court ruled correctly in upholding Indiana’s law, signed by then-Governor Mike Pence, requiring the humane and dignified disposition of human fetal remains."  

She expressed the desire that "this atrocity will awaken hearts and consciences across the nation to the brutal reality of abortion."

The 3 - September 8, 2019

This week's edition of The 3 offers a solution to the problematic "Drag Queen Story" events at local libraries, based on what one Texas town did.  Also, a NFL quarterback endorsed an initiative from a Christian organization encouraging young people to bring Bibles to school, and felt compelled to issue a response to his critics for doing so.  And, the politics of abortion will continue to be a big issue in the 2020 Presidential race, and in the past week, two candidates made sweeping statements about a so-called woman's right to terminate the life of her unborn baby.

Texas city stands against Drag Queen Story Time event

The wave of Drag Queen Story hours, in which men dressed as women read stories to children, mainly at local libraries, children who have been brought by their parents, who are seemingly not offended by what has been called a "grooming" exercise for liberalized and dangerous views on sexuality, according to a Christian Post article.

The article reports that counselor Jon Uhler says "he believes Drag Queen Story Hour events constitute 'the greatest grooming program ever devised' and predators 'are laughing all the way to the bank.'"

The Post also says:

But Uhler does not believe marching and picketing Drag Queen Story Hour events is effective because by the time they are scheduled it's almost always too late. Instead, parents should go to the events and tape what goes on with their phones or hidden cameras and then expose it.

"The only way this is going to be stopped is if the public sees that every single time, at every single one of these, really perverse things are going on. So you let their own actions speak for themselves," Uhler said.

In Texas, a City Council has taken a bold step to try to put a halt to these events.  According to
The Daily Signal:

The City Council of Leander, Texas, 22 miles northwest of Austin, voted 5-2 at its Aug. 15 meeting to stop renting out meeting rooms at the library to the public.

“We brought in $1,800 in rental fees and we spent $20,000 in security,” Leander Mayor Troy Hill said, apparently referring to the drag queen event. “That’s not good math to me.”

Elizabeth Castle, a policy adviser for Texas Values, is quoted in the article. She says: "I’ve done some research and … their day job, without going further into, you know, anything personal, if you just Google them you can find out that they work at adult nightclubs," adding, “And so those people shouldn’t be reading to children.” Castle also stated, “These drag queens are told to read stories, you know, about gender transitioning and about sexual orientation to young kids as young as infant age...," and that, the city "wants to protect their children, and for the most part they seem to be against the ‘Drag Queen Story Hours.’”

NFL quarterback encourages students to take Bible to school, receives criticism

A high-profile NFL quarterback, arguably one of the best to play the professional game, endorsing students taking their Bibles to school, has received an unwarranted amount of criticism for this recommendation.  Bring Your Bible to School Day is an initiative of Focus on the Family.  Its President, Jim Daly, wrote:

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees was forced to respond to criticism late yesterday for recording a 22-second video promoting our organization’s annual “Bring Your Bible to School Day”, which occurs this coming October 3rd.

Specifically, Brees was put on the defensive for doing the video because Bring Your Bible to School Day is associated with Focus on the Family. Critics were aghast that he would lend his name to the event, citing our ministry’s belief in biblical marriage and support of counseling for those with unwanted same-sex attraction.

Daly added:

In reporting on the episode, the Washington Post pejoratively labeled us as an “anti-LGBT religious group.”

Is there no longer any realm where I can disagree with someone on the definition of marriage and human sexuality and still be considered a decent person?

By both the Post’s and other critic’s standards, anybody who holds to the historical teachings of biblical sexuality is now labeled a bully and bigot, someone who holds others in personal contempt.

Daly also said that, "Like Scripture teaches and Drew Brees referenced, we believe we’re called to love God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind. We’re also commanded to love our neighbors, whether they identify as heterosexual, homosexual or something else." He related that, "Tolerance is a two-way street."  

Daly also said that:

Drew Brees is the latest individual to be caught up in the middle of a growing intolerance toward those of us with a conservative Christian worldview. Whether it’s Second Lady Karen Pence being attacked for teaching art at a Christian school, the New York Times asking for stories about “#exposechristianschools,” public high school students in Pennsylvania battling a “Bible ban” on their campus, or Chick-fil-A being banned from airports due to their biblical beliefs, people of conservative Christian faith are being unfairly targeted.

This latest turn reminds us why it’s vital to empower the next generation with the understanding that they don’t have to hide their faith or compartmentalize it to the “private” sphere.

Democratic candidates offer strong support for abortion up until birth

It is obvious that the 2020 crop of Democrat party candidates have traveled quite a distance from the mantra of "safe, legal, and rare" regarding abortion.  Now, within the past week, you have had one candidate emphasize abortion as a means of population control and another saying that life does not begin until a baby is outside the womb, and attempted to twist Scripture to do it.

Take for instance, one of the frontrunners in the race, Bernie Sanders.  The Susan B. Anthony List, referring to a Daily Wire article, took Sanders to task.  The senator said, in response to a question on reducing a growth in population, that women in the U.S.: "...have a right to control their own bodies and make reproductive decisions."  He added...

"And the Mexico City agreement — which denies American aid to those organizations around the world that allow women to have abortions or even get involved in birth control — to me is totally absurd," Sanders continued. "So I think, especially in poor countries around the world where women do not necessarily want to have large numbers of babies and where they can have the opportunity through birth control to control the number of kids they have, it's something I very strongly support."

SBA List President Marjorie Dannenfelser stated, "This takes Democratic abortion extremism to a new low. Every Democratic candidate for president should immediately be asked where they stand on eugenic population control, especially frontrunner Joe Biden in light of his past comments condoning the Chinese government’s oppressive One-Child policy..."

Abortion as population control is the position of Bernie Sanders. South Bend, IN, mayor Pete Buttegieg should have no problem with that, and he seems resolute in lecturing Christians about what they should believe.  The Susan B. Anthony List highlighted the mayor's recent comments on The Breakfast Club show, referencing a Daily Caller article, which stated:

Buttigieg discussed how the Bible talks about life beginning with breath, and suggested this would be one way to determine when life began in relation to abortion debates.

He said, "...there’s a lot of parts of the Bible that talk about how life begins with breath, and so even that is something that we can interpret differently.”

Buttigieg added, "I think, no matter what you think about the kind of cosmic question of how life begins, most Americans can get on board with the idea of, alright, I might draw the line here, you might draw the line there, but the most important thing is the person who should be drawing the line is the woman making the decision..."

Again, from SBA List's Dannenfelser, just a day after strong comments about Sanders: "Just when it seemed that the Democrats’ extremism had hit rock bottom, Pete Buttigieg has taken the party to a new low in justifying abortion on demand and even infanticide through the moment a child takes her first breath. Buttigieg should be ashamed of his inhumane remarks..."  About both men, the pro-life leader expressed her view that both are too extreme to be President.

The 3 - September 1, 2019

In this week's edition of The 3, offering three stories of relevance to the Christian community, there is news of a court victory by filmmakers who want to get into the wedding industry, but are concerned about a state law that would force them to make videos of same-sex weddings.  Also, the Trump Administration is standing with a nurse who was forced to participate in an abortion despite her religious objections.  And, a Bible translator and his wife are the victims of an attack in the African nation of Cameroon; he died and his wife lost an arm.

Christian wedding videographers win court challenge in MN

Carl and Angel Larsen are filmmakers based in St. Cloud, MN; they want to enter the wedding industry, but there is a problem: a non-discrimination law passed by the state that could force them to make wedding videos that violate their deeply held beliefs, i.e., they would be forced to produce videos of same-sex wedding ceremonies, according to the Alliance Defending Freedom website,

The Larsens filed what is known as a "pre-enforcement challenge" lawsuit against the law.  The ADF website states:

After the district court ruled in favor of Minnesota’s motion to dismiss the Larsens’ lawsuit, ADF attorneys appealed to the 8th Circuit, which received several friend-of-the-court briefs, including one filed by 10 states, supporting the artistic freedom of the Minnesota filmmakers. The Larsens are challenging portions of Minnesota Statutes Chapter 363A on the grounds that the public accommodation law illegally controls artistic expression—violating their freedom to choose which messages they will express, and refrain from expressing, through their films.

The 8th Circuit ruled in favor of the Larsens on appeal, and, according to ADF, "reinstated the free speech and free exercise of religion claims of the lawsuit...The court also ordered the district court to consider whether the Larsens are entitled to a preliminary injunction barring enforcement of the law against them. According to the site, the court stated, "...Because the First Amendment allows the Larsens to choose when to speak and what to say, we reverse the dismissal of two of their claims and remand with instructions to consider whether they are entitled to a preliminary injunction….”

On this Friday's edition of The Meeting House, Jake Warner, Legal Counsel for ADF, will discuss the particulars and implications of this case.

Pro-life nurse claims VT hospital forced her to participate in abortion

The University of Vermont Medical Center receives Federal funding, therefore, it is subject to Federal law, including the Church Amendment, which, according to a FoxNews.com story, which is intended to prevent health care professionals from having to participate in abortion, an activity that would violate their deeply held beliefs.

The Fox website states that: "The Trump administration is pursuing action against the University of Vermont Medical Center (UVMC), which receives federal funds, after a nurse says her supervisors forced her to participate in an abortion against her will."  According to Jordan Sekulow of the American Center for Law and Justice, Sekulow stated that, "The Trump administration, President Trump, and Secretary Azar at HHS, is the first administration to actually enforce it against these hospitals, to actually enforce conscience protections so that nurses and doctors and medical professionals aren't forced to perform abortions against their religious or deeply held beliefs..."  He said the Church Amendment was passed in 1973.

ACLJ represents a nurse who "filed a conscience and religious discrimination complaint against UVMC" last year, claiming the hospital broke the law. The hospital is doubling down, claiming its "robust, formal protections that safeguard both our employees' religious, ethical and cultural beliefs, and our patients' rights to access safe and legal abortion."  The medical center's trustee board chair is a former Planned Parenthood regional CEO, and the hospital began to perform elective abortions in 2017 when that individual assumed that position.

Bible translator attacked, killed; wife injured in Cameroon incident

In Africa, the nation of Cameroon borders Nigeria to the east.  There have been reports of attacks on Christians by members of the Fulani militants in Nigeria, and a recent incident in Cameroon is quite disturbing. Mission Network News reports that:

...a Bible translator participating in the Wycliffe Bible Translators movement was killed in his home during an attack by the Fulani herdsmen. The attack took place in Wum, a village located in the Northwest of the country.

The attackers used a machete to dismember Angus Abraham Fung. The Christian Post reports Fung’s wife, Eveline, had her arm cut off. However, she and another person who was staying in their home did manage to escape. Per the report, Eveline is currently receiving a blood transfusion.

Wum is in a region where you have people who are attempting to gain independence, an area consisting of English-speaking residents.

According to Efi Tembon of Oasis Network for Community Transformation, quoted in the MNN article, “One of the big issues there is that the government, with a more international pressure getting [put on the] Cameron government, they have been trying to provoke a religious war to just create chaos. Create division between the local people..." The piece goes on to say:

Tembon believes the Christian community is an easy target for these attacks. There are also suspicions that individuals within the Cameroon government are utilizing the Fulani herdsmen for attacks on locals, particularly those fighting for independence or associated with the movement.