The 3 - November 3, 2019

This week's edition of The 3, featuring three stories of relevance to the Christian community, includes a development regarding Alabama's strong pro-life law passed earlier this year which will keep it from going into effect in less than two weeks.  Also, the Federal government has issues a new regulation that will allow adoption and foster-care agencies to receive Federal money without having to place children in home situations they find objectionable.  And, a Tennessee pastor is being held in India in a case that has religious freedom implications.

Alabama pro-life law placed on hold

It's disappointing, but not unexpected.  A Federal judge has placed Alabama's law banning abortion in almost all circumstances on hold, according to a piece on the CBN.com website, which reported the law was set to take effect on November 15, but Federal judge Myron Thompson issued a preliminary injunction putting the law on hold.

Planned Parenthood and the ACLU had filed suit against the law, and the article quotes the lead sponsor of the bill in the Alabama House, state Representative Terri Collins, who "said the ruling 'is merely the first of many steps on that legal journey.'"

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall intends to take the law all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, saying, "...the state's objective is to advance our case to the US Supreme Court where we intend to submit evidence that supports our argument that Roe and Casey were wrongly decided and that the Constitution does not prohibit states from protecting unborn children from abortion..."

Governor Kay Ivey stated that she supports the "rule of law," and, "This legislation passed with overwhelming support in the Alabama Legislature and was signed into law as a testament to Alabamians' longstanding belief that every human life is sacred. We must continue doing all we can to protect life..."

Trump Administration takes steps to protect faith-based adoption and foster care agencies

One of the flashpoints in our society between religious freedom and the LGBTQ agenda has to do with whether or not faith-based adoption and foster care agencies should be required to place children in homes headed by same-sex couples, which would violate their religious beliefs.  States have passed laws protecting such agencies, and now the Federal government has weighed in on a related matter.

Liberty Counsel, on its website, states:

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will introduce a new federal rule that would allow faith-based adoption and foster care providers to receive federal money without compromising their sincerely held religious beliefs on marriage by forcing them to place foster children with same-sex or unmarried couples.

Some history here:

In 2016, the Obama administration added sexual orientation language to an HHS rule, forcing faith-based groups to choose between their biblical beliefs on marriage or receiving federal money to serve their communities. Currently, if faith-based groups want to apply for federal funds, they must request a waiver from the Obama rule. The Trump administration rule will now make that regulation null and void.

This was another attempt to insert LGBTQ rights into Federal civil rights law, and HHS is now attempting to turn it back.

Tennessee pastor detained in India

A Tennessee pastor who has been involved in training Sunday School teachers in India and Nepal for some 20 years has been detained on his latest trip to those two nations.  The Tennessean reports that:

Bryan Nerren, leader of the International House of Prayer Ministries in Shelbyville has been stuck in Bagdogra for more than three weeks, according to a petition posted online by CeCe Heil, an attorney with the American Center for Law and Justice.

Heil and ACLJ were involved in the case involving pastor Andrew Brunson, who had been arrested and held in Turkey for two years, prior to his release, which was the result of diplomatic pressure.

Nerren was approached in an airport in early October and was in possession of cash to cover the expenses.  He was allowed to fly to the city of Bagdogra, but was detained because he did not have the proper forms to declare the money.  The story says that:

In Bagdogra, he was arrested for traveling without the proper documentation for the funds, Heil said, then jailed for six days until he was allowed to post bail. 

"However, the judge retained Pastor Nerren’s passport and ordered a travel ban, trapping him in Siliguri."

A hearing in his case set Oct. 22 did not take place, Heil said, and another court date is slated for Dec. 12.

This series of events caught the attention of the organization, Open Doors, which issued a statement from President and CEO David Curry of Open Doors USA: "Given the currently hostile climate for Christians in India, it seems apparent that authorities targeted this American pastor because of his faith. Christians in India are regularly treated with this same disregard and denied basic human rights, while extremists are permitted to hunt Christians down and harass or assault them because of their faith. Now, the authorities have brazenly broadened their scope to detain an American whose only real crime is living out his faith in Jesus while on Indian soil..."

Curry called for Nerren to be released and for India to "reform the current conditions for its minority Christian citizens."  He added, "This is why Open Doors has devoted this year's International Day of Prayer, which will be observed on November 3, to a day of prayer for India."