The 3 - November 10, 2019

In this week's edition of The 3, offering a look at three stories of relevance to the Christian community, there is a ruling from one Federal judge, taking on the Department of Health and Human Service to remove conscience protection for those in the health care field.  Also, a Federal appeals court has temporarily allowed a faith-based adoption agency to continue to provide services to families and children, even though it will not place children in homes headed by same-sex couples.  Plus, a chilling event in Spokane illustrates the ideological alignment between Planned Parenthood and those promoting events involving drag queens.

Federal judge halts Administration's conscience protection for health care employees

The Trump Administration, through Department of Health and Human Services, had issued a rule that would offer conscience protection for doctors, nurses, and other in the health care field, which means that they would not have to be forced to participate in objectionable procedures, such as abortions.  As WORLD reports:

U.S. District Judge Paul Engelmayer ruled Wednesday that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services exceeded its authority in crafting a rule that would have allowed medical workers to claim religious or moral exemptions to performing abortions or other procedures that violate their consciences.

In an e-mail, Christian Medical and Dental Associations responded by saying: "Christian doctors and nurses are on the frontlines serving people in need...But our service is threatened by lawsuits brought in New York, Washington and California, which challenge commonsense conscience protections for healthcare professionals of faith. Religious healthcare professionals of all religions must be free to continue providing compassionate care without being forced to perform procedures, such as abortions, that would require them to violate their most deeply held beliefs."

Faith-based adoption provider protected from NY government by appeals court

In the meantime, the state of New York has been attempting to force faith-based adoption agencies to place children in homes where the situation violates their beliefs.  Alliance Defending Freedom has announced that, "The New York State Office of Children and Family Services has threatened to force faith-based adoption provider New Hope Family Services to immediately phase out its adoption program for the nonprofit’s policy prioritizing the placement of children it serves in homes with a married mother and father."

Recently, a Federal appeals court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, stepped in and, according to ADF, "issued an emergency order Monday that temporarily halts New York officials from targeting a faith-based adoption provider for its religious beliefs and seeking to shut it down on that basis." That provider is New Hope Family Services.  The order from the appeals court puts the state's action on hold "until the court has a chance to consider whether to reverse a federal district court’s decision to dismiss New Hope’s lawsuit sometime after oral arguments are held on Nov. 13."

ADF Senior Counsel Roger Brooks stated: “New Hope’s faith-based services do nothing to interfere with other adoption providers, but banishing it means fewer kids will find permanent homes, fewer adoptive parents will ever welcome their new child, and fewer birth parents will enjoy the exceptional support that New Hope has offered for decades. We hope the court will permanently uphold New Hope’s ability to serve children and families according to the very beliefs that motivate its valuable services.”

Pro-abortion and LGBT agenda coincide in fundraiser

We can certainly see that a variety of organizations are aligned against the principles of Scripture and those who uphold them.  I would dare say that you would find a significant number of people and organizations who are pro-abortion who tend to be ideologically united with those who are pro-gay marriage and supportive of gay marriage, as well as other issues.  This is borne out in an article at The Christian Post about a recent fundraiser for Planned Parenthood in Spokane, Washington.

According to the article:

An activist group organized on Facebook called Spokane United Against Religious Extremism & The Church at Planned Parenthood — in reference to a church that gathers weekly for worship outside a Planned Parenthood clinic in Spokane, Washington, called The Church at Planned Parenthood — organized the Oct. 30 Halloween themed drag show fundraiser that included an auction featuring giant cardboard cutouts of area Christians known to protest Drag Queen Story Hour events.

Those who had their cutouts "for sale" included Anna Bohach, founder of 500 Mom Strong; Afshin Yaghtin, a local pastor who was arrested for attending a Drag Queen Story Hour to, as he claims, observe what was taking place; and Ken Peters, who has organized the Church at Planned Parenthood, in partnership with other local churches, which holds its meeting at the local Planned Parenthood abortion clinic.

The Post article states that Bohach says that, "she's not surprised by Planned Parenthood teaming up with drag queens against Christians who've been especially vocal against their antics." She is quoted as saying:

"Christians are the biggest threat to their agendas. We are the only ones standing in their way and telling them: 'No, you will not abort babies; no, you will not exploit vulnerable women; and no, you will not expose our children to sexual deviancy and gender confusion,'" she said.

And, the article adds:

"Both groups dehumanize, exploit, terrorize and commit violence against women. Abortion is violence against women and their babies, and drag is a misogynistic mockery of women," she said, referencing a video showing a drag queen in a New York gay bar dramatizing a woman aborting her baby and then cannibalizing it.