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.”