The 3 - February 23, 2020

This week's edition of The 3 features good news for a tall cross in Pensacola, Florida, which a Federal appeals court has allowed to stand.  But, there's some bad news for delivery drivers in South Carolina who have been told they cannot pray with other employees in their facility's parking lot.  And, a Christian professor who filed a lawsuit after a student complaint for not using the proper pronouns has been denied his day in court.

Cross in Pensacola park can stay, according to appeals court

Back in 2018, a panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals rendered a decision that a 34-foot cross in Pensacola's Bayview Park had to be removed due to Establishment Clause concerns. The Christian Post reports that a panel of the same circuit, in light of the U.S. Supreme Court finding that a large veterans memorial cross in Maryland was constitutional, has agreed to allow the Pensacola cross to stand.

The Post article notes that, "In September 2018, a three judge panel of the Eleventh Circuit unanimously ruled against the cross, with the panel stating that they were 'constrained' by legal precedent."  The Maryland case has apparently removed those constraints and resulted in a positive decision for the cross.

The article notes:

Becket, a religious liberty law firm that represented Bayview in the litigation, celebrated the new opinion, giving credit to the Supreme Court for their Bladensburg ruling.

“The Supreme Court has now made clear that religious symbols are an important part of our nation’s history and culture,” said Luke Goodrich, vice president and senior counsel at Becket, in a statement released Wednesday.

Prayer meetings in UPS parking lot create difficulties for drivers

Religious freedom is an issue in the bizarre case of United Parcel Service, or UPS, drivers who have found themselves at odds with their employer or without a job as the result of - prayer. Liberty Counsel reports on a story out of Myrtle Beach, SC:

In July 2019, approximately 40 UPS drivers started voluntarily praying together each morning in the parking lot prior to their shifts. The group has since grown to between 50 and 60 drivers.

Employees reported to Liberty Counsel that the center manager told a driver on January 16, 2020 that the drivers “cannot pray anymore on company property because someone else may feel discriminated against.” Then January 20, the manager told a second driver that the drivers “could no longer pray on company property because it violates others’ religious rights.” The following week, the drivers met, but did not pray. Some bowed their heads in a simple moment of silence.

Then, after a social media post that was viewed by over a thousand people, according to Liberty Counsel, "several drivers with many years’ experience who regularly participated in the prayer meetings have been fired for what appears to be pretextual reasons. Other drivers are afraid of speaking out in the wake of this firing."

The website states:

Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, “An order that employees refrain from voluntarily praying together violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Employers are prohibited from discriminating against employees based on religion. These UPS drivers may voluntarily gather for prayer in the parking lot before they clock in for work. UPS must permit the drivers to continue praying together and reinstate the jobs of any who were fired,” said Staver.

Court drops suit filed by Christian professor over pronouns

Nicholas Meriweather is a professor at Shawnee State University in Ohio.  In 2018, a male student identifying as a female demanded that the professor use his transgender pronoun, i.e. refer to him as a woman, according to a report at The Federalist website.  Meriweather refused, the student filed a complaint, the school supported the student, and the professor went to court.  He was assisted by the Alliance Defending Freedom.

According to the article, "The court dismissed the professor’s suit for failing to effectively prove he faced discrimination for his beliefs." The article linked to the ruling from a Federal district court. The article went on to say:

The court determined, “Plaintiff’s refusal to address a student in class in accordance with the student’s gender identity does not implicate broader societal concerns and the free speech clause of the First Amendment under the circumstances of this case,” reasoning that the use of titles is not considered speech, but is conduct in violation of the university’s anti-discrimination policies. The court further determined the professor was not compelled to use speech he morally opposed, as the university gave him the option of either removing all gendered language from his classroom or addressing each student according to his or her individual preference.

The Federalist points out that:

The court rejected the professor’s religious objections, saying the reasonable-person standard would not consider using preferred pronouns as unreasonable and that the anti-discrimination policy is “neutral” and therefore not specifically affecting any religious group or belief. Most shockingly, the court upheld the university’s position that it could not accommodate the professor due to his religious objection, as it would then be required to make similar accommodations for racist or sexist views as well.

And the article also stated: "Strangely, the court determined Meriwether faced no form of discrimination for his religious beliefs after his superior openly laughed at his concerns during their meeting and compared his views to those of racists."

The 3 - February 16, 2020

This week's edition of The 3, features the bold stance of a Virginia pastor who prayed in accordance with Scripture at one of the state's chief legislative bodies and was met with resistance.  Also, the remains of thousands of aborted babies were laid to rest recently in Indiana.  And, a new network of Southern Baptists calling the denomination to a renewed emphasis on evangelism and the teachings of Scripture has been launched.

Virginia lawmakers walk out on pastor's fiery prayer

Dr. Robert M. Grant Jr. is the pastor of The Father’s Way Church in Warrenton,VA, and recently was invited by a state representative, Michael Webert, to give the opening prayer of the state's House of Delegates, according to the Virginia Mercury.

The pastor included references to issues about which the Bible speaks plainly, and he was met with resistance, according to the website, which reported:

Democrats walked off the floor of the House of Delegates Tuesday morning as the pastor invited to give the opening prayer delivered stinging remarks condemning abortion and gay marriage and said God would bring his “wrath” against those who don’t follow biblical principles.

The article went on to say:

Speaking to reporters afterward, Grant stood by his remarks and called the Democratic response “unprofessional.”

“I think that the statehouse belongs to all the citizens. And all the citizens have a voice,” Grant said. “If it’s my turn to have a voice, and I am a pastor, what do you expect from me? If you don’t want to hear what a pastor has to say, then don’t invite one.”

According to LifeNews.com, Grant included these words in his prayer:

“I pray that you may understand that all life is precious and worthy of a chance to be born,” Grant said. “God is the giver of life and people have no right or authority to take life. The unborn have rights and those rights need to be protected. They should never be denied the right to exist, the right to develop or the right to have a family.”

Franklin Graham was impressed; the article said that he wrote on Facebook, "Here’s a guy who’s got guts for Jesus...They didn’t want to hear the truth. But what Pastor Grant said was truth. He’s right—these are crucial times. He urged lawmakers to honor God’s laws and be aware of His judgment.”

Star Parker, President of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education, or CURE, is quoted by the Christian News Journal as saying, “Liberal Delegates in the Virginia House of Delegates treated Rev. Grant with contempt. A black pastor had the courage to stand for he believes in a legislative body that supports abortion, infanticide, and the limiting of our God-given Constitutional liberties. Rev. Grant is correct that these are crucial times, and he is right to remind liberal Delegates about how far their extreme agenda has gone.”

Bodies of thousands of aborted babies memorialized in Indiana

The remains of over 2,400 aborted babies were buried in South Bend, Indiana this past week, and the following day, there was a moment of silence observed by the U.S. House of Representatives, according to LifeSiteNews.com.  The remains had been stored at the home of the late abortionist Ulrich Klopfer for "nearly two decades," according to the article.

Republican Congresswoman Walorski said. “Such callous disregard for human life should shake us to the core,” adding, “These children deserved justice and dignity. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in observing a moment of silence for the thousands of innocent victims that were laid to rest yesterday.” Walorski added, according to the article, "To make sure this never happens again, the House must pass the Dignity for Aborted Children Act to build on Indiana’s law, upheld by the Supreme Court, that requires dignified treatment of aborted fetal remains..."

The Daily Caller reported that Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill spoke at the ceremony.  The article states:

The attorney general also said that in burying the “unborn children,” “we fulfill our obligation as a state pursuant to law and conscience to the unborn babies whose lives were terminated in clinics in Fort Wayne, Gary and South Bend.”

Conservative Southern Baptists announce new network

This past Friday, a new network of Southern Baptists rolled out.  It's called the Conservative Baptist Network, and according to a press release on its website:

A significant number of Southern Baptists are concerned about the apparent emphasis on social justice, Critical Race Theory, Intersectionality, and the redefining of biblical gender roles. Many fear that these issues have received more attention than evangelism and spiritual renewal – the emphases that helped to make Southern Baptists the largest evangelical denomination in the nation.

Two noted occurrences were mentioned in that press release:

One has to do with messengers who tried to have Vice-President Pence removed from speaking at the 2018 Southern Baptist Convention in Dallas.  After that effort failed, some messengers walked out on Pence.  The CBN says: "The insolence and disrespect demonstrated by those who walked out on the Vice President of the United States was foreign to what the Bible teaches about respecting those in authority in I Peter 2:11-17."

Another occurrence is the passage of Resolution 9 at the 2019 SBC in Birmingham. The press release says:

In defending the resolution, the chairman insisted that Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality are simply analytical tools. However, they are far more than just tools; they are ideologies that have their roots in Neo-Marxist, postmodern worldviews. While the committee may have meant well in presenting the resolution, many messengers left Birmingham confused about Critical Race Theory and Intersectionality, and others left feeling that they had been misled or deceived.

Brad Jurkovich, pastor of First Baptist Church in Bossier City, LA and the lead spokesman for the new movement, is quoted as saying, “We are concerned about the current road our Southern Baptist family is traveling. It is a road that is twisting what God’s Word is saying about things like human sexuality, biblical racial reconciliation and socialistic justice.” He also asked, "As Southern Baptists can we not love both Jesus and America? Is it no longer okay to be a pastor and a patriot?”

Baptist Press released a story on the formation of this network and included a quote from SBC Executive Committee President and CEO Ronnie Floyd, who said: "Since I arrived at the EC, I have worked diligently on moving us towards a clear, concise, and compelling unified Great Commission vision," adding, "The Southern Baptist Convention is at her best when churches are partnering together for mission and standing on the inerrant, infallible, sufficient Word of God. Regardless of our secondary affiliations or networks, we must continue to uphold the Baptist Faith and Message, cooperating with one another for the purpose of seeing every person reached for Jesus Christ in every town, every city, every state and every nation."

The article says that:

The network has the support of Chuck Kelley, president emeritus of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and various leaders of Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Cordova, Tenn.

Over the weekend, the CBN's Twitter feed indicated over 2,000 had already joined the network.  A cursory look at social media indicates enthusiasm about the new movement, even though there are some that are questioning the need for it and some even resorting to harsh language to denigrate their brothers and sisters in the Lord. 

The 3 - February 9, 2020

In this most recent installment of The 3, featuring three stories of relevance to the Christian community, I spotlight:
* a march by millions Nigerian Christians protesting sectarian violence in that nation
* the first meeting of a new consortium of nations devoted to fighting for religious freedom
* a California college that is changing its policies as the result of a court ruling in favor of a pro-life group's lawsuit claiming that the school was showing favoritism toward certain views.

Millions of Nigerians march in opposition to continued persecution

Enough!  That's the cry of solidarity from Christians in Nigeria to the continued taking of lives throughout the nation, and according to the website, Evangelical Focus, on the first Sunday of February, approximately 5 million people went into the streets of cities throughout over three-quarters of the 36 provinces of the African nation to protest the deaths of Christians.

One of the most recent high-profile deaths is that of pastor Lawan Andimi, who was beheaded by Boko Haram terrorists in January, according to another Evangelical Focus piece.

The article states:

During the march, organised by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) as the final event of a three-day fast, participants brought posters which read: “Nigerian Christians are under attack. Buhari acts now”, and “Our values and way of life will prevail, the killings will not”.

Buhari is the President of Nigeria. The World Evangelical Alliance also condemned attacks on Christians in the nation.  The article relates:

Through a statement signed by its Secretary General, Ephraim Tendero, the WEA recalled that “in 2019, Nigeria accounted for some 45% of Christians killed for their faith globally, approximately 1,350 out of 3,000 deaths”.

“We urge President Buhari and the Nigerian government to put an end to these attacks, to decisively combat the prevailing impunity for killings, and to ensure institutional accountability”, it added.

Nations formally join together and pledge to fight for religious freedom

The United States is continuing to take a leadership role in the preservation of religious freedom in countries around the world.  This past week, a total of 27 countries, according to an article at the Religion News Service website, were represented at a meeting in Washington.

The article traces the history of this new Alliance, stating that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo...

...announced plans for the creation of the alliance at the conclusion of the State Department’s second Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom in July. He and Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback have called it a “first-ever” global group to focus on religious freedom.

President Donald Trump also cited the alliance at a September event on religious freedom at the United Nations, where he described it as “an alliance of likeminded nations devoted to confronting religious persecution all around the world.”

At the National Prayer Breakfast, the President made reference to the Alliance, according to the transcript on the White House website, and then stated: "All of us here today reaffirm these timeless truths: Faith keeps us free. Prayer makes us strong. And God alone is the author of life and the giver of grace."

The RNS article said that:

The State Department issued a list of principles for the alliance that included a commitment to “the right to hold any faith or belief, or none at all, and the freedom to change faith.” The new organization’s priorities include challenging blasphemy laws and the denial of registration to nonreligious and religious groups and advocating for people who are imprisoned or otherwise persecuted due to their religion or beliefs.

At this week's meeting, it was announced that Warsaw, Poland would be the site of the next
Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom.

Pro-life students gain right to assemble at California college campus

In a resounding victory for a pro-life student group at California State University-San Marcos, the university agreed to pay almost a quarter of a million dollars and to revise its student fee policy, according to the website of Alliance Defending Freedom, which filed a lawsuit against the school after unfair treatment was alleged by the campus group, Students for Life, which is one of over 100 recognized student groups on the campus.

The website states:

The university funded the Gender Equity and the LGBTQA Pride Center with almost $300,000 in mandatory fees while denying Students for Life $500 in funding to host a visiting speaker on “Abortion and Human Equality” to provide a contrasting view.

This was during the 2016-17 academic year.  The website goes on to say:

In August 2019, a federal district court struck down the CSU–San Marcos policy of “back room deliberations” that lead to unequal treatment of student groups and directed both sides to reach an agreement on the policy issues raised in the lawsuit.

That ruling resulted in the school's recent actions. ADF Legal Counsel Caleb Dalton is quoted as saying, “We’re grateful the district court rejected the university’s unfair, secretive, and discriminatory policy, and that the university has agreed to allocate student fees only in a viewpoint-neutral manner, instead of picking favorites. The university system’s policy changes don’t simply benefit our clients but also benefit any student with a minority viewpoint and every citizen who cares about dialogue and intellectual freedom within our public colleges and university communities.”

This court action is reminiscent of a statement made by the President at the recent National Prayer Breakfast, according to the Family Research Council website: "...I also recently took executive action to stop taxpayer dollars from going to colleges and universities that spread the poison of anti-Semitism and bad things about Christianity. We are upholding the sanctity of life. And we are doing that like nobody has ever done it before from this position." 

The 3 - February 2, 2020

This week's edition of The 3, featuring three recent stories of relevance to the Christian community, features a controversy over the rejection of a Super Bowl ad that presents survivors of abortion.  Plus, Tennessee now has a new law that offers protection to faith-based adoption agencies who uphold the "religious or moral convictions" of the agencies regarding placement of children.  And, evangelical organizations are expressing concern from an education official in Spain regarding parental rights.

Another Super Bowl, another ad controversy

It's not the first time, but there has been another controversy surrounding the message of a Super Bowl ad.  You may remember there was the tension over Focus on the Family running an ad featuring Tim Tebow a while back.  Not too long after that, Birmingham-based Fixed Point Foundation had submitted a John 3:16 ad to be run during the big game - rejected!

This year, an organization called Faces of Choice wanted to run an ad featuring abortion survivors and contacted Fox, the network that is broadcasting this year's game.  According to LifeSiteNews,

Faces of Choice, a new non-profit whose ad featuring 14 survivors of abortion was shown at the March for Life, say they have been “given the runaround” by the network for six months.

The ad, which features the faces and stories of abortion survivors, is designed to raise awareness of the survivors of abortion who all univocally make it clear that they are persons and not a "choice." Faces of Choice applied to run a 30-second version of the ad. The ad doesn’t mention abortion. Faces of Choice says it has been carefully produced so that it is appropriate for the Super Bowl audience.

According to the article, the storyboard had been approved, but Fox's legal department kept asking questions.  Apparently, the ad was never cleared.

Meanwhile, The Blaze reported about an ad that a number of viewers, especially Christian viewers, would find objectionable.  It states...

...news broke that two former contestants from "RuPaul's Drag Race" would appear in a Super Bowl commercial this Sunday, marking the first time that drag queens are to be featured in an ad for the big game. 

The same will apparently not be true for abortion survivors.

The website reports that:

Bob Witeck, a marketing expert for LGBTQ audiences, said that the ad is "revolutionary."

“For queer audiences, [drag] is an art form and an 'outsiders' language," he explained.

“Reaching the Super Bowl means taking our language into every home in the nation and millions around the world."

The Christian Post quoted Dr. James Dobson about the commercial, for Sabra hummus:

"So there you have it. Fox has said ‘yes’ to drag queens and ‘no’ to abortion survivors,” Evangelical leader James Dobson, the founder of Focus on the Family, said in a statement. “Celebrating sexual fantasy while denying the value of every life... could the soul of America be any more lost?”

Dobson accused Fox Sports of transforming the Super Bowl from a “family-friendly event into an opportunity to promote a gender ideology that goes against the most basic biological realities.”

The article also related:

...a Fox spokesperson told The Washington Times in a statement that the network was "unable to accommodate" Faces of Choice and other advertisers because they “sold out at a record pace this year.”

And, another ad sure to please the gay community is an Amazon Alexa ad that features talk show host Ellen DeGeneres and her "partner," Portia de Rossi.

TN Governor signs new law protecting faith-based adoption agencies from being forced to violate convictions

A bill that would have protected the conscience rights of faith-based adoption agencies has now been signed into law in Tennessee by Gov. Bill Lee, according to FoxNews.com, which reported on January 26:

The governor of Tennessee signed a controversial law Friday that allows adoption agencies within the state to refuse to place children in homes that "violate the agency's written religious or moral convictions or policies.”

The measure, signed by Republican Gov. Bill Lee, was widely condemned by members of the LGBTQ community for providing legal protections to agencies that reject foster care or adoption applications from same-sex homes. It also prohibits the state from denying agencies licenses or grants for public funding because they have a religious objection to placing a child in a certain home.

The article notes that: "This comes after the Trump administration proposed a new rule in November that would allow faith-based foster care and adoption agencies to continue receiving federal money even if they turn away same-sex couples on the basis of the agencies' religious beliefs."

The Fox story relates that Governor Lee's spokesman, Gillum Ferguson, told the Tennessean newspaper, “The governor believes that protection of rights is important, especially religious liberty," adding, "This bill is centered around protecting the religious liberty of Tennesseans and that’s why he signed it.”

Anti-parental rights statement by government official challenged in Spain

Recently, I reported about a group of New Jersey parents who are protesting a mandate that so-called "LGBTQ history" be taught in schools there.  Those protesting see it as a matter of parental rights.

There are evangelical Christians in Spain who have expressed concerns about an education official's comments demonstrating contempt for parental rights.  The story, from ChristianNews.net, links to the website, EvangelicalFocus.com, which reports that...

...Education Minister Isabel Celáa said in a press conference that “no one should commit the mistake of thinking that children belong to their parents”.

The article goes on to say that:

In the first public appearance after the conformation of the new government, Social Democrat Celáa announced that the central Spanish government would bring the Region of Murcia (South-east Spain) to the courts after its regional government allowed parents to decide whether their children would attend talks and other special activities which could collide with their moral and ethical views.

According to the story, these "classes include sex education and workshops on LGBT issues given by external speakers."  Shortly after Celáa's comments, the "Equality Minister," Irene Montero, described the actions in Murcia as “censorship and sexism.”

Three evangelical organizations responded:

The Spanish Evangelical Alliance (AEE) denounced that “a code of values charged with ideology is being imposed on our children, which presents ideological dogmas as if they were absolute truths, creating a kind of ‘lay religion’”.

The article goes on to say that:

Meanwhile, the Evangelical Council of the Region of Murcia, also expressed its “deep concern and disagreement” with Celáa’s words. The evangelical body in that region underlined that “parents have the right to educate children according to their ethical and moral convictions, this being a Constitutional right, which cannot be subject to changing policies or ideological proposals”.

Finally, the Federation of Evangelical Religious Entities of Spain (FEREDE), called to end what they believe to be “a false debate” because “it hurts us all, especially the children”.