The 3 - January 26, 2020

On this week's edition of The 3, highlighting three stories of relevance to the Christian community, there is are two pro-life stories: one involves the first President of the United States to address the March for Life in Washington in the almost-50-year history of the event.  Plus, a Federal agency has deemed a California law forcing insurance plans to cover abortion is a violation of Federal law.  And, the Church of England has provided comments relative to so-called "mixed-sex" civil partnerships.

Trump becomes first President in history to address March for Life in person

In 47 years, up until this past Friday, no American President had addressed the March for Life in person.  Not Reagan, not either Bush.  But, as WORLD Magazine reports:

President Donald Trump on Friday became the first sitting president to address in person the annual gathering of pro-life advocates in the nation’s capital. He touted his administration’s pro-life policies such as withholding Title X family planning funding from abortion centers and protecting conscience rights for pro-life doctors and nurses.

The article included several phrases from the speech: “Every child is a precious and sacred gift from God...,” “Unborn children have never had a stronger defender in the White House...,” as well as, “And as the Bible tells us, each person is wonderfully made.”

WhiteHouse.gov published the transcript of the speech, and the speech is available through the White House YouTube channel.  The President also shared, according to the transcript:

We are protecting pro-life students’ right to free speech on college campuses. (Applause.) And if universities want federal taxpayer dollars, then they must uphold your First Amendment right to speak your mind. And if they don’t, they pay a very big financial penalty, which they will not be willing to pay. (Applause.)

Sadly, the far-left is actively working to erase our God-given rights, shut down faith-based charities, ban religious believers from the public square, and silence Americans who believe in the sanctity of life.

Administration determines California law violates Federal law by forcing organizations, including churches, to fund abortion

A division of a Federal agency, the Department of Health and Human Services has determined the state of California broke the law by requiring insurance plans in the state to cover abortion, according to the Alliance Defending Freedom website.  It points out that: "The federal Weldon Amendment prohibits states which receive federal funding from compelling healthcare plans to fund abortion."

ADF had filed lawsuits against this legislation on behalf of four churches in the state who were being coerced to pay for abortion in their insurance plans.  Friday, it was announced that the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights had made the determination that the California law did indeed violate Federal law.  ADF Legal Counsel Denise Harle said:

“No one should force a church or any other employer to participate in funding abortion. For years, California’s Department of Managed Health Care has demonstrated hostility to churches by forcing them to pay for elective abortions. The agency has unconstitutionally targeted religious organizations, repeatedly collaborated with pro-abortion advocates, and failed to follow the appropriate administrative procedures to institute its unprecedented mandate. We commend the Trump administration and HHS’s Office for Civil Rights for investigating and taking corrective action against the state of California for its flawed policies, persistent violation of federal law, and its willful disregard for the civil rights and conscience rights of its citizens.”

Church of England declares support of sex between a man and woman, and only in marriage

Substitutes for marriage are certainly a trend, it seems, and in the United Kingdom, couples who cohabit can actually enter into a legal arrangement, called a "civil partnership," akin to what homosexuals sought after in this country prior to the U.S. Supreme Court's recognition of counterfeit homosexual marriage as something called, "marriage." 

Now, according to The Guardian website, bishops in the Church of England, while apparently not explicitly condemning any sort of civil partnership - homosexual or heterosexual - bishops did say that sexual activity should only be pursued in the context of one-man, one-woman marriage.  The website reports:

Bishops have issued pastoral guidance in response to the recent introduction to mixed-sex civil partnerships, which says: “For Christians, marriage – that is, the lifelong union between a man and a woman, contracted with the making of vows – remains the proper context for sexual activity.”

The church “seeks to uphold that standard” in its approach to civil partnerships, and “to affirm the value of committed, sexually abstinent friendships” within such partnerships.

It adds: “Sexual relationships outside heterosexual marriage are regarded as falling short of God’s purpose for human beings.”

The Church's director of director of mission and public affairs, the Rev. Dr. Malcolm Brown, is quoted as saying: “Civil partnership is not the same as marriage, which is founded on the taking of solemn public vows and is recognised in the church’s teaching as the only proper context for sexual relationships." He added, “So, as with same-sex civil partnerships, there is no formal service or blessing but clergy will, as always, be encouraged to respond pastorally to couples wishing to formalise their relationship in this way.” The bishops did say, according to the article that members of the clergy in the Church of England “should not provide services of blessing for those who register a civil partnership."

The 3 - January 19, 2020

In this week's edition of The 3, highlighting three recent stories of relevance to the Christian community, there was a recent announcement of Federal action concerning religious freedom.  Plus, parents in New Jersey are taking action in opposition to a mandate to teach so-called LGBTQ history.  Also, protests have been occurring in India regarding a tall statue of Jesus, slated to be built on private land.

President announces initiatives to guarantee religious freedom

This past Thursday, January 16, was Religious Freedom Day, and the President announced a series of new guidelines that would preserve religious freedom rights.  According to the Alliance Defending Freedom, there were "three major actions" that were proclaimed:

1. Ensuring Religious Organizations Are Treated the Same as Secular Ones

2. Requiring Public Schools to Respect Students’ Rights to Express Their Faith

3. Ordering That Federal Grant Programs Cannot Discriminate Against Religious Schools or Organizations

CBN.com published an article about students' right to pray in schools and pointed out that the President had "previewed" that announcement in the "Evangelicals for Trump" rally in Miami earlier this month.  The article says:

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos explained the new rules protect students' right to pray, but they also go beyond that to protect faith-based student groups and much more: "The Department's efforts will level the playing field between religious and non-religious organizations competing for federal grants, as well as protect First Amendment freedoms on campus and the religious liberty of faith-based institutions."

The U.S. Department of Education, according to the article, "is sending letters to officials in all 50 states to ensure students and teachers don't face discrimination for practicing their right of religious freedom."  As the article notes, "The bottom line is this: Public schools now risk losing federal funds if they violate students' rights to religious expression."

Faith Radio programmers were quoted in the article: David Jeremiah said that, "Our public schools ought to be places where people of faith feel free to be who they are, and -of course- no one really believes doing so constitutes enforcing one's personal faith on another." Tony Perkins related, "Some school officials are willing participants in the secularists' intimidation campaign while others fear the lack of funding to fight threatened lawsuits. Now the tables are turned."

In another CBN.com article, James Dobson is quoted as saying, "We should celebrate the administration's vital efforts to protect our religious freedom. But such work is in vain if we don't seize the opportunity to live out our faith and thereby transform the heart of this nation."

New Jersey parents express concern over new LGBTQ-friendly curriculum

There is certainly trouble in the state of New Jersey over a disturbing new law that requires the teaching of so-called LGBTQ history, according to an article published at The Stream from The Daily Signal.  The article reports that the bill was signed by Democrat governor Phil Murphy on January 31 of last year, making New Jersey the nation's second state to pass such a requirement (California was first).  The piece states:

The New Jersey measure says the state board of education “shall include instruction on the political, economic and social contribution of persons with disabilities and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in an appropriate place in the curriculum of middle school and high school students as part of the district’s implementation of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards.”

Parents' right leaders gathered on January 4 to mobilize. The article quotes from Victoria Jakelsky, described as "state director of a grassroots group called Protect Your Children, or Team PYC..." The article notes that, according to Jakelsky, Protect Your Children was formed last summer and "is affiliated with ParentalRights.org, and includes evangelical Protestants, Roman Catholics, Coptic Christians, and other concerned citizens."

ParentalRights.org has a number of high-profile Christian leaders on its board, including former Alabama and NFL star Shaun Alexander, parenting expert John Rosemond, gospel music legend Marvin Winans, and Michael Smith of the Home School Legal Defense Association. ParentalRights.org was founded by Michael Farris, formerly of HSLDA, who is now President and CEO of Alliance Defending Freedom.

Jakelsky stated, "We are highly concerned that the LGBT history will teach lifestyles and life choices that stand 100% against our family values, our deeply held religious views, and the way we practice our faith.”

Two mayors who are professing Christians are quoted in the article:

Mayor Ed McKelvey, a Republican from Alloway Township in Salem County and an ordained pastor who has attracted media attention for speaking out against the LGBT curriculum, said it is a matter of right and wrong.

“God never calls you to do something that does not line up with his word, even if what he calls you to do doesn’t always make natural sense,” McKelvey told audience members.

Also...

Mayor Alfonso Cirulli of Barnegat Township in Ocean County called on Christians from across denominations to unite in an effort to reform New Jersey laws that undermine biblical teachings.

Cirulli, a Republican, has been widely quoted for saying that the LGBT curriculum mandates could “indoctrinate” students.

“This is a spiritual battle,” he said. “We have the Lord behind us.”

Team PYC members plan to be active in the days to come. The article says:

A dozen members of Team PYC are scheduled to meet Jan. 30 with Lamont Repollet, New Jersey’s commissioner of education.

Group members also plan to testify at school boards across the state in February and March, and to hold “prayer and policy meetings” in some counties.

In the midst of increasing persecution, Indians protest statue of Jesus

Again this year, the nation of India is in the top 10 of the Open Doors World Watch List, identifying the countries who are the leading persecutors of Christians worldwide.  There is an article at The Christian Post website that highlights an instance of hostility to Christianity in the Ramanagara district in the southern part of the country.  The article states:

Hundreds of hardline Hindus gathered to protest a planned Jesus statue that will rival Rio de Janeiro's "Christ The Redeemer" for its size, claiming the structure will go “against the spirit of communal harmony.”

Here is a description of the scene:

Carrying saffron flags as around 1,000 police stood by, protesters demanded that the state government reverse its decision to allot land for the proposed 114 foot Jesus statue or face further demonstrations.

The Jesus statue is expected to stand atop a hillock named Kapalabetta in Harobele, a village of 3,500 where Christians form a majority. The land is owned by the Archdiocese of Bangalore.

A local representative of the archdiocese said that state officials have said they would become involved in the conflict.  The article also notes that:

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom’s 2019 report warned that religious freedom conditions in India “continued a downward trend” in 2018.

The commission warned against “the growth of exclusionary extremist narratives” that facilitate campaigns of violence, intimidation and harassment against non-Hindu minorities and lower-caste minorities from both public and private actors.

The 3 - January 12, 2020

On this week's edition of The 3, highlighting three stories of relevance to the Christian community, there is news out of China about a prison sentence handed down to a pastor, while the nation continues its attempts to clamp down on religious freedom.  Also, an infant girl in Texas is continuing to be kept alive after a positive court decision. And, the role of religion in the 2020 election will continue to be an ongoing subject, as evangelical supporters of the President gathered in Miami for rally.

Chinese pastor sentence, country announces more stringent religious regulations

In late 2018. Pastor Wang Yi of Early Rain Covenant Church in China, was arrested by governmental authorities, according to a December 30 report from China Aid, which states:

Wang was taken into custody on Dec. 9, 2018, along with 100 other members of his church. On Dec. 26, 2019, he was tried suddenly and secretly. Today, officials handed him a nine-year sentence along with three years of denied political rights and a 50,000 yuan [$7,000 USD] fine.

The report says:

Wang, who is the pastor of Early Rain Covenant Church, was found guilty of “inciting subversion of state power” and “illegal business operations.” Both charges were given to him because of his position within the church.

Dr. Bob Fu, Founder and President of China Aid, stated, “This is a pure case of unjust religious persecution against a peaceful preacher of a Chinese reformed church...This grave sentence demonstrates Xi’s regime is determined to be the enemy of universal values and religious freedom. We call upon the international community to stand up to the Chinese Communist Party and hold this evil regime accountable.” He called on high-ranking U.S. officials to "condemn and take immediate action" regarding these measures, which he termed, "barbaric."

Meanwhile, the continued absorption of religious practice in China into the activities of the state continues, with CBN News reporting that "the Chinese government announced it will soon require all religious personnel of any faith to support total submission to the Chinese Communist Party."  This will go into effect February, according to an Asia News report referenced in the article, which relates:

Under the new measures which consist of six chapters and 41 articles dealing with everything involving religious communities – from gatherings to annual and daily projects – are subject to the approval of the government's religious affairs department. All religious personnel will also be required to support, promote and implement total submission to the Chinese Communist Party among all of the members of their faith communities.

CBN also says that, "International Christian Concern, a persecution watchdog group, warns "with these latest measures in place, the government will use them as a legal tool to further tighten space for religious groups.'"

Texas court says that baby can be kept on life support

The infant girl at the center of a controversy in Texas is 11 months old and is named Tinslee Lewis, according to a WORLD Magazine report that says that Tinslee "...was born prematurely on Feb. 1 and has remained hospitalized with a rare heart defect, chronic lung disease, and severe high blood pressure." She ceased to breathe on her own back in July, and has received special treatment, including being sedated. The story relates that...

Her mother said that despite her sedation, Tinslee smiles, stares, and squeezes her hand. Doctors do not think those actions are purposeful and said Tinslee is in constant pain and will never recover. But her mother said she wants to be the one to decide whether to remove her from life support.

The hospital had wished to remove the treatment keeping her alive, and has a judge's ruling to support it.  Yet, according to WORLD, "The Second Court of Appeals in Fort Worth ...ordered Cook Children’s Medical Center to keep Tinslee Lewis alive until it can make a final ruling in an appeal brought by Tinslee’s mother, Trinity Lewis." Texas Right to Life has supported the Lewis family, and Kimberlyn Schwartz of the organization said, "This gives us so much hope for Tinslee,” adding, “This is a prayer answered.”

President's evangelical supporters gather in Florida

It is clear by digesting media, including social media, that Christians are divided, in some cases, deeply so, regarding their position on President Trump - and his support varies in intensity, I think: from being ambivalent, to being a Trump voter, to being a strong supporter, and a vocal supporter, and everywhere in between.  You'll find opposition in varying levels.  And, the strongest of both extremes seem to be the most vocal - and offensive.  And, there is plenty of criticism of evangelical Christians who support the President...by their fellow Christians.  The level of division and mean-spiritedness on social media is disturbing, and some of the most provocative voices are actually those who are characterizing fellow believers who support Trump as malicious.

But, the President, no doubt, has strong support in the evangelical community, and a rally at a Miami church that occurred the first weekend of January featured a number of strong evangelical supporters on the stage.  Tony Perkins of Family Research Council, in a piece that ran on The Stream website, provided a reminder about why Christians support the President, and it's not because of personality necessarily, but of policy.  Perkins wrote:

When he tweeted, in classic Trump fashion, that no president had ever done more for Christians than his administration, it was true. From the unborn to judges, international religious freedom to Israel, this White House has earned the support it’s getting.

Christians, the president repeated, “have never had a greater champion — not even close — than you have in the White House right now. Look at the record,” Trump urged. “We’ve done things that nobody thought was possible. We’re not only defending our constitutional rights, we’re also defending religion itself, which is under siege.” That’s important, he argued, because “America was not built by religion-hating socialists. America was built by churchgoing, God-worshiping, freedom-loving patriots.”

At this Evangelicals for Trump rally, the President drew the contrast between his policy positions and those who whoever will be his opponent. Perkins states that the President told the crowd, “every Democrat candidate running for president is trying to punish religious believers and silence our churches and our pastors. Our opponents want to shut out God from the public square so they can impose their extreme anti-religious and socialist agenda on America.” Not all will agree with the President, even in the faith community, and there are a number of faith-based groups that are attempting to change the calculus of the 2020 election.  Prayer and searching the Scriptures are necessary components for a making an informed and Spirit-led choice in this year's elections.

The 3 - January 5, 2020

This first edition of The 3 for the new year of 2020 includes a new way forward for the United Methodist church, with a bold announcement of resolution of matters of sexuality through creating a new denomination.  Also, a significant group of lawmakers in Washington are urging a new course regarding abortion, calling for a re-evaluation of Roe vs. Wade.  And, the U.S. Postal Service's restrictions of religious speech regarding customized stamps has been challenged.

United Methodists announce plan to separate

According to Mark Tooley of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, who was part of a group of 16 leaders associated with the United Methodist Church who met and negotiated what is known as the Protocol of Reconciliation & Grace Through Separation, writes on the IRD's Juicy Ecumenism blog:

United Methodism moved closer to formal schism with a new proposal released today negotiated with liberal and conservative groups, including bishops. The plan would divide the nearly 13 million member global denomination into separate conservative and liberal communions.

The website, UnitedMethodistBishops.org, states:

The action comes amid heightened tensions in the church over conflicting views related to human sexuality after the 2019 Special Session of the General Conference failed to resolve differences among church members.

At that conference, a majority of delegates voted to retain the United Methodist Church's view regarding homosexuality's violation of Scripture, which essentially blocked the ordination of gay clergy and the performance of same-sex marriages within the denomination.

A professional mediator was brought in to handle the negotiations.  Tooley writes:

Under this plan, conferences (Methodism’s version of dioceses or presbyteries) could vote by 2021 to join the conservative denomination by a 57% vote. Local churches by 2024 could vote by majority. The conservative denomination would get $25 million from current denominational assets.

The Bishops' website makes it clear: "The Protocol anticipates the formation of a new traditionalist Methodist denomination."  So, rather than those who do not hold to the Traditional Plan leaving, it appears that the conservatives will be leaving the denomination and forming their own.

It is subject to approval at the next UMC General Conference in Minneapolis in May. 

One of the signers of the Protocol, Keith Boyette, The President of the Wesleyan Covenant Association, which is a group of United Methodist representatives calling the denomination to adherence to Scripture, stated, according to the Association's website: "This is a very important agreement, and the most hopeful development in a dispute that has undermined the health and vitality of both local churches and the denomination in general,” adding,“Since the close of the 2019 General Conference Renewal and Reform groups leaders have engaged in conversations with other advocacy group leaders, bishops, and church officials in an effort to resolve our differences through a negotiated plan of separation...We are thankful for those who have stepped forward since that contentious General Conference to propose an agreement respecting the sincere theological and ethical convictions of Methodists across the board.”  The site also says:

The mediation team assumed the Wesleyan Covenant Association would serve as the vehicle for creating a new traditionalist Methodist denomination. It is also assumed the post-separation UM Church would quickly move to adopt legislation creating a U.S. Regional Conference, and that conference would consider changing its sexual ethics, allowing same-sex weddings, and ordaining openly gay clergy.

In brief for Supreme Court case, members of Congress urge high court to rethink Roe

Later this year, the U.S. Supreme Court will be considering, as the website, The Hill, puts it, a law passed in Louisiana "that would require doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital, a requirement that critics say is designed to force abortion clinics to close."

In response, over 200 members of Congress - 166 Republican House members, 2 Democrat House members, and 39 Senators - have signed on to an amicus, or "friend-of-the-court" brief that calls on the justices to "reconsider" the landmark ruling from 1973, Roe vs. Wade.

The article states:

The lawmakers noted the “unworkability” of the “right to abortion” found in Roe v. Wade, and suggested the court take up the issue of whether the case should be reconsidered and, if appropriate, overruled.

The story notes that this is the first abortion case the high court has considered since the addition of Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, the two appointees of President Trump.  It also points out:

The Supreme Court in 2016 struck down an almost identical law in Texas because it resulted in the closure of half of the state’s abortion clinics, which would place an “undue burden” on women seeking a legal abortion.

But the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in Texas, considered to be one of the most conservative courts in the country, upheld the Louisiana restrictions in a 2-1 decision, finding that it was "remarkably different" than the Texas law.

The court found there was “no evidence” any abortion clinics would close under the Louisiana law because it was easier for doctors to obtain admitting privileges in the state.

U.S. Postal Service restricts religious expression on custom stamps

The United States Postal Service allows individuals to design and print their own stamps, according to The Daily Citizen, a website of Focus on the Family, which reports that apparently that comes with limitations.

It recounts the story of Susan Fletcher, described as "a devout Christian who wishes to share her faith with her family and friends, especially around Christmastime. She tried to do that this Christmas by creating custom stamps through USPS." Some examples include a stamp with a Nativity scene, as well as another with a cross on it. However, she ran into USPS regulations that, according to the article, "prohibit any stamp design that depicts 'political, religious, violent or sexual content.'"

But as The Daily Citizen relates:

As an agency of the executive branch of the federal government, the USPS is required by law to abide by the First Amendment of the Constitution, which prohibits Congress from abridging the freedom of speech.

The article quotes from a press release from First Liberty, which has sued the Postal Service. Jeremy Dys, who has been a guest on The Meeting House in the past, is quoted as saying, "USPS offers its own version of a religious stamp, but, ironically, it will not allow religious Americans to personalize stamps containing an expression of their own religious beliefs for their own use. This regulation by the USPS not only chills speech, it silences it..." According to the press release, Fletcher said,“I just want to express my faith in everything I do, at Christmas and all throughout the year. I am truly saddened that the country I love would keep me from expressing the most important message I could share with others: my faith.”