The 3 - March 29, 2020

In this week's edition of The 3, there are concerns about religious freedom during this time of unprecedented government action on combating the Coronavirus.  Also, a large Christian university has allowed certain students back on campus, which has drawn strong reaction against it, but the university claims strong reasons.  And, another large Christian denomination has announced it will be cancelling its scheduled meeting later this year.

Church gatherings face restrictions in face of Coronavirus

During this time, in which governmental authorities are enacting emergency regulations in response to the Coronavirus, it is important that Constitutional protections continue to be in force, including First Amendment guarantees of religious freedom.  The Christian legal advocacy organization, First Liberty, issued three recommendations for ensuring religious freedom is preserved.  They are:

1. Religious institutions should continue to serve their local communities.
2. Temporary, evenly applied restrictions may be permissible.
3. Extraordinary state action to limit the peaceful gathering of American citizens must be temporary.

CNS News released a story about new Virginia guidelines that raised concerns about the religious freedom rights of churches.  The story opens up by saying:

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam issued an executive order on Monday that is aimed at stopping the new coronavirus — and, in the process, makes it a criminal offense to hold a church service attended by more than 10 people.

Yes, his order makes it a crime for more than 10 people to gather in a church.

The writer of the article, Terry Jeffrey, who saw that churches were not specifically mentioned in the article, reached out to the governor's office, and received this response from a spokesperson: "The Governor's EO 53 bans assemblies of more than 10 people, statewide. That includes gatherings at private schools, private clubs, parties, as well as any other social get-together, and religious services."  Jeffrey points out:

Virginians now live in a state where holding a church service attended by 11 people has been unilaterally declared a crime by the governor.

The same executive order that creates this church-attending crime also declares that Virginia's state-owned liquor stores are "essential retail businesses" that "may remain open during their normal business hours."

By contrast, according to the Montgomery Advertiser, Governor Ivey's ban on certain "non-essential" businesses does not include churches.  The article says:

Faith institutions are not included in the non-essential business closures. However, non-work related gatherings of more than 10 people are prohibited. Non-work related gatherings of any size that "cannot maintain a consistent six-foot" distance between people are prohibited.

It is a near-unanimous recommendation from medical professional and public health officials to avoid communal gatherings like religious services.

And, like Virginia, Alabama's liquor stores continue to operate.

A Christian Post article from this past Thursday states:

Authorities in countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda and Greece have evacuated church services and arrested pastors in recent days as governments have prohibited large gatherings in an attempt to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

As governments across the globe have taken measures to ensure that citizens engage in social distancing so that they don’t spread a virus that has already killed at least 21,000 people worldwide as of Thursday, some religious leaders have continued to hold worship services anyway.

Liberty University opens to some students while complying with law

During this crisis, it's important to get your information from trusted sources, and to be able to discern when a particular agenda is being pursued.  Take, for instance, the recent reporting on Liberty University opening its facilities to some students.  There are people who are hostile to President Jerry Falwell, Jr. because of his seemingly close relationship with President Trump.  And, that, I believe was reflected in the reporting on Liberty's recent actions.

Baptist Press told the story:

Liberty University (LU) students began returning to campus Monday (March 23) from spring break while the school transitioned most classes to online instruction to deter the coronavirus (COVID-19). But certain classes will still convene on campus, LU said on its website.

Students, employees, prospective students and their families, and those doing business with LU are allowed on campus, but others are met with "no trespassing" signs, according to a story posted at liberty.edu.

Why would Liberty take such action? The article relates:

Keeping residence halls open allows LU to accommodate hundreds of international students unable to return home, a university spokesperson told BP. Also, the university worked to accommodate commuter students unable to break leases at residences they occupy while attending LU.

According to the story on the school's website, signs have been posted "in the academic buildings, computer labs, and throughout the social gathering areas on campus ... to take certain seating out of service so students follow social distancing guidelines." The story added that "members of Liberty's student leadership team are also helping to enforce the new rules along with faculty and staff."

There, of course, was plenty of criticism online for Falwell, including an editorial published by Religion News Service criticizing his actions.  The aforementioned Governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam, also criticized the university, to which the school responded:

The Governor was quoting scripture today about Christian duty to protect our students. That's exactly what Liberty has been laboring tirelessly to do over the last couple of weeks. We really think it's un-Christian to turn students away and push any problems off on someone else. Most of our residential campus students are not in the Lynchburg area. Only about 10 percent of our residential students are currently here on campus. Many of those are international students who did not leave the country on Spring Break and have nowhere else to go. The Governor should understand that.

These students are in their living spaces attending classes and convocations online, not in classrooms or the Vines Center. They are getting their dining plan food by takeout instead of eating in the dining halls. The campus is fairly spacious and uncrowded, so they are spread out and observing social distancing. They are not working out in our fitness centers, not bowling in our bowling alley, not skating in the ice rink, and not engaging in our sports, intramurals, or student organization activities. Touchpoints across campus are being sanitized several times a day.

The Central Virginia Health District came to Liberty yesterday, Tuesday, March 24, for an unannounced inspection, and they did not find Liberty in violation of any of the State of Virginia's Executive Order 53 – the Governor's order that placed temporary restrictions on restaurants, businesses and gatherings.

A manager at the health district stated, "All operations appeared to be in compliance with the Governor's emergency order..."

Southern Baptists cancel annual meeting in Orlando

I had reported that the greatly-anticipated United Methodist General Conference, scheduled for May in Minneapolis had been cancelled due to restrictions that were put in place by the venue due to the Coronavirus.  At that meeting, delegates were expected to approve a plan to create a new denomination that would uphold traditional Biblical teaching on homosexuality, while the existing denomination would be allowed to change its stance and perhaps pursue a path to ordain gay clergy and to allow clergy to perform same-sex weddings.  That action will have to wait.

Now, another large denomination has announced it will cancel its planned meeting this year. The Southern Baptist Convention has cancelled its 2020 annual meeting in Orlando in June.  The convention's website states:

In light of the COVID-19 global pandemic which we believe constitutes a grave emergency, it is in the best interest of the SBC to cancel the Annual Meeting—for the first time in 75 years—out of a deep concern for the health and safety of messengers and attendees.

We are calling on all Southern Baptists to pray for an end to this global pandemic and that God will bring His Church together at this time to sharpen our focus like never before.

This is not a time for Southern Baptists to shrink back in timidity and fearfulness or be paralyzed with uncertainty. This is not the time to retreat. This is a time for us to advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every person in every town, every city, every state and every nation.

Officers and committee members will remain in place until the next annual meeting, presumably in Nashville in 2021. This may represent a "cooling-off" period for Southern Baptists, who in the past year have sparred on a variety of topics. These range from the controversial Resolution 9, passed at last year's convention, which has been criticized for failing to completely renounce the theories of Critical Race Theory and intersectionality, to the formation of a new Conservative Baptist Network to call the denomination back to a Biblical foundation on issues such as Resolution 9, and the launching of an investigation by the SBC Executive Committee into actions and viewpoints of ithe SBC's public policy arm, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.  Those have allegedly resulted in some churches withholding funds from the denomination's Cooperative Program.

The 3 - March 22, 2020

This week's edition of The 3 features three stories related to the Coronavirus, including a dramatic rise in the number of people watching online services over the first weekend of the crisis over one particular platform.  Also, while so many "non-essential" services are being curtailed, the abortion industry continues to take the lives of unborn children.  And, Chinese authorities are reportedly using the crisis to enact further destruction of church facilities.

Churches move to online only services and studies, online interaction way up

This past Sunday was actually the first Sunday in which you had practically a nationwide limit on churches meeting together, opting, when possible, for online services.  And, I would dare say that the availability of online content has proliferated within the past week. Christian Headlines reports on an example of how the number of people accessing online church content spiked last week:

The Church Online Platform, operated by Life.Church, saw a total of 4.7 million devices streaming church services Sunday, four times the average attendance for a typical weekend.

The platform has seen more than 6,000 new churches sign up during the past week and serves more than 20,000 churches worldwide. It allows churches to stream their own services with chat and one-on-one prayer features.

As the article states:

President Trump on Monday issued new guidelines urging Americans to avoid groups of more than 10 people for 15 days. The recommendations are a companion to CDC guidelines that recommend “mass gatherings” with 50 or more people be canceled or postponed for eight weeks.

Abortion agenda advances during virus emergency

Last week, I reported to you about the attempt to use legislation designed to provide relief in the Coronavirus crisis to circumvent the Hyde Amendment, which prevents Federal taxpayer money from being used to fund abortion.  Even though government authorities are trying to prevent the loss of life from the virus, abortion advocates are trying to keep the loss of life for unborn babies continuing.  This comes even as citizens are being asked, in some cases, and mandated in others, to postpone "elective" surgeries.

One state attorney general decided that he would do something about that.  According to the Columbus Dispatch, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has told abortion clinics to cease providing abortions.  The article says:

In his letter to abortion providers, Yost said, “You and your facility are ordered to immediately stop performing non-essential and elective surgical abortions. Non-essential surgical abortions are those that can be delayed without undue risk to the current or future health of a patient.

“If you or your facility do not immediately stop performing non-essential or elective surgical abortions in compliance with the (health director’s) order, the Department of Health will take all appropriate measures.”

Planned Parenthood is adamant in continuing to provide abortions in the state.  Good insight was provided by Aaron Baer, president of Citizens for Community Values, who e-mailed a statement, saying: “Abortion is not health care, and abortionists shouldn’t be using valuable life-saving medical equipment to destroy life. Attorney General Yost is standing up for our most vulnerable during this crisis and saving countless lives.”

Meanwhile, LifeSiteNews reported:

A statement released earlier this week by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the Society of Family Planning, and a number of other medical professional member organizations has called on fellow medical professionals “to ensure abortion access is not compromised” during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The article pointed out the hypocrisy in this declaration, stating:

Earlier this week, many of the same organizations said the pandemic “is a public health crisis that requires the full attention and resources of our health care systems” and have called on hospitals to suspend elective surgeries.

LifeSiteNews also reported on how some abortion activists are demanding that the government allow so-called "webcam" abortions during this time of crisis.  And, some are questioning why abortion clinics are still allowed to operate, but churches are having to close to public worship services.

While China faces criticism re: Coronavirus, mistreatment of churches continues in the open

With the worldwide spread of the Coronavirus from its apparent origins in China, authorities there have been attempting to curb the impact on its people, with reported success.  But, the Chinese government has also seemingly leveraged the virus into cracking down further on churches, according to a Faithwire article, which surmises, "...the shuttering of churches to stem coronavirus infections has presented the state with a key opportunity to ransack sanctuaries and strip worship centers of their Christian symbolism."

Case in point: "On March 13, and with residents in self-isolation, a church in Guoyang County, Anhui Province, had its cross removed in broad daylight...Though the church usually has around 40 people attending Sunday service, authorities reportedly exploited the nationwide shutdown by heading into the church and removing the cross while it was empty."

The article also says that, "China Aid’s Bob Fu shared shocking footage of a church in Yixing city, Jiangsu, being razed to the ground. 'Religious persecution continues even in the midst of #WuhanVirus,' he wrote."

Faithwire states:

According to International Christian Concern, most of the country’s churches — underground or state-approved — have been meeting online since the shutdown began. There is a worry, however, that the government will roll out a brutal crackdown on these virtual gatherings as soon as the virus response begins to settle down.

The 3 - March 15, 2020

This week's edition of The 3 includes responses to the Coronavirus, including calls to prayer from the President and a major Christian denominations.  Plus, amidst action by Congress to get something done regarding legislation to help combat the virus, there was at attempt to insert language that would permit Federal funding of abortion.  And, minors in the state of New York can now change the gender designation on their birth certificates.

Church services impacted by the Coronavirus; Americans called to pray

I don't think that you could completely say that the Church was closed on Sunday, but it was uniting people in certainly a different way, as especially large congregations across the nation indicated they would not be meeting at their facilities; a number of churches went to online gatherings.  God's Word was faithfully preached, and His people were united, albeit in a virtual way.  Some areas restricted gatherings to certain sizes or at least there were recommendations; for instance, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey had suggested that people avoid gatherings of more than 500 people.

There were also calls to pray in the midst of the Coronavirus crisis. President Trump called for a National Day of Prayer on Sunday, March 15.  According to CBN.com, he tweeted out:

"It is my great honor to declare Sunday, March 15th as a National Day of Prayer," the President tweeted. "We are a Country that, throughout our history, has looked to God for protection and strength in times like these....

The President also tweeted, "....No matter where you may be, I encourage you to turn towards prayer in an act of faith. Together, we will easily PREVAIL!"

The President also tweeted out that he had tested negatively for the virus and that he would be watching the Free Chapel worship service online on Sunday morning; that's the church pastored by Jentezen Franklin, who was a recent guest on The Meeting House and prayed for Mr. Trump in a much-publicized evangelical gathering in Miami several months ago.

Plus, CBN reported that Southern Baptist leaders had earlier called for Sunday to be a Day of Prayer.  Leaders had encouraged prayer in several areas:

• Ask God, in His mercy, to stop this pandemic and save lives—not only in our communities but around the world, particularly in places that are unequipped medically to deal with the virus. (Isaiah 59:1-2)
• Pray for President Donald Trump and other government leaders—international, federal, state, and local—to have the wisdom to direct us in the best courses of action for prevention and care. (Romans 13:1–4)
• Scripture says—teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts. Pray that the Lord will give us wisdom in this moment of fear as the foundations of what we know are shaken, that others would realize how fragile life is and how real eternity is, and they would see their need to turn to God. (Psalm 90:12)

House speaker attempts to insert abortion into Coronavirus bill

The Coronavirus has caused great concern around the world, and U.S. citizens have depended on governmental officials to provide direction and resources to lessen the risk to Americans and to curb the spread of the virus.

So, it is troubling when you have some officials who use a piece of legislation designed to control a public health crisis to promote one of their political agenda items, such as...abortion.  Focus on the Family's Daily Citizen website reports:

According to The Daily Caller, senior White House officials allege that, “while negotiating the stimulus with U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, Pelosi tried to lobby for ‘several’ provisions that stalled bipartisan commitment to the effort. One was a mandate for up to $1 billion to reimburse laboratory claims, which White House officials say would set a precedent of health spending without protections outlined in the Hyde Amendment.”

The article says that, "The Hyde Amendment is a legislative provision that prohibits federal funds from directly paying for abortions." It includes a quote from a tweet from Texas Representative Kevin Brady, in which he stated, "This is disgraceful even for Pelosi! Dems are holding bill to deal with the Wuhan Virus hostage unless they get permanent new funding free from Hyde Amendment protections,” adding, “This will mean direct, government funding of abortions. Extremists sinking to new low.”

The Coronavirus aid package is set to pass Congress laterlast week.  Plus, President Trump, by declaring a state of emergency, loosened up Federal funds to help combat the spread of the virus.

Minors in NY can now change sex on their birth certificates

In the state of New York, children and teens ages 16 and younger can apply to have their gender changed on their birth certificates, according to a ChristianHeadlines.com story that states:

According to the office of the New York Attorney General Letitia James, the new policy will allow individuals under the age of 16 to apply for their sex to be changed on their birth certificates without the need for a medical affidavit.

Now, they will need parental permission. The article says: "The rule's goal is to allow transgender or nonbinary individuals to alter the sex marker on their birth certificate to reflect their gender identity." It also states:

The change in policy came in the wake of a lawsuit filed by a native transgender New Yorker who now resides in Houston, Texas. The plaintiff in the case, M.H.W., identifies as a boy but is biologically female, The Christian Post Reports.

“This is awesome,” M.H.W., who uses he/him pronouns, asserted. “Now all my identity paperwork matches, and I can go forward not having to worry about legal documents conflicting with who I am again. I get to just go on being me.”

That Christian Post article also relates:

In an interview with The Christian Post last January about New York City's allowance of a third gender marker on birth certificates, philosopher Daniel Moody, author of The Flesh Made Word, stressed that the purpose of a birth certificate is to capture truth in language, thereby connecting persons to laws — not only for the sake of the individual but for society as a whole.

The 3 - March 8, 2020

This week's edition of The 3, spotlighting three stories of relevance to the Christian community, there has been another court development on Coach Joe Kennedy's way back to the U.S. Supreme Court. Also, West Virginia lawmakers have passed a bill protecting abortion survivors.  Plus, the Coronavirus has resulted in the quarantine of some Christian leaders and a tour group.

More court action regarding football coach who prayed after games

A high school football coach in Washington state suffered another court defeat recently, but the attorneys representing him have promised to appeal.

Joe Kennedy is the Bremerton, WA coach who, after every game for seven years, went to the 50-yard line and bowed in prayer.  His school district ultimately suspended him, and First Liberty Institute joined to file court action against the district.

First Liberty's website has information on Coach Kennedy and his motivation.  The website reported on Friday, March 6:

Yesterday, federal district court judge Ronald Leighton granted the Bremerton (WA) School District’s motion for summary judgement in the case of Coach Joe Kennedy. Bremerton School District fired the longtime football coach because he took a knee in brief, silent prayer after football games. Kennedy’s case attracted nationwide attention from the media, Hall of Fame coaches and players, and even President Trump. In January, President Trump invited Coach Kennedy to the Oval Office as he announced new actions to protect religious freedom in America’s public schools.

As the legal advocacy group pointed out, "Last January, the Supreme Court of the United States declined to reverse a previous decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upholding Kennedy’s 2015 firing." But, there was a ray of hope, as First Liberty points out: "in a separate statement filed by Justice Alito and joined by Justices Thomas, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh, the justices explained that the Court needed more information in order to resolve the matter." They wrote, “the Ninth Circuit’s understanding of the free speech rights of public school teachers is troubling and may justify review in the future.”  It was sent back to the district court level, which issued the decision.  As The Christian Post reports, that is the same judge that issued the original court decision against the coach.

West Virginia legislators protect abortion survivors

The West Virginia Legislature passed, and Governor Jim Justice has signed a bill that would protect babies who survive abortion attempts in the state, according to Liberty Counsel, which reports:

HB 4007, known as the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, requires physicians to use “reasonable medical judgment” to preserve the life and health of the child as given to any other child born alive at the same gestational age, including immediate transportation to a hospital and mandatory reporting of violations.

The governor is quoted as saying: “This is an absolute no-brainer as far as I’m concerned. I’ve said for a long time, even back before I took office as Governor, that I would support measures like this because every human life – born or unborn is precious and truly a gift from God..."

This bill, as Liberty Counsel points out, is "very similar" to the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Act that failed to get the 60 votes necessary to move forward in the U.S. Senate, thanks to 41 Democrat Senators who voted against it. A consortium of Christian organizations representing over 30,000 medical professionals stated that under the circumstances, "There is no scientific or legal reason to distinguish between human beings born after an attempted abortion and human beings born after attempted live birth...There is no medical reason to intentionally kill that fetal human being.”

Pastors exposed to Coronavirus in quarantine

The Coronavirus continues to be a menace, and while Christians are told in Scripture not to fear, it is important to be aware and take necessary precautions, heeding instructions from governmental officials and medical authorities.  According to the Religion News website, as of last Wednesday, March 4, Life.Church pastor Craig Groeschel and Bobby Gruenewald, another leader in the church, attended a conference "...which had about 7,400 attenders..." It was "cut short after one presenter became ill with COVID-19, according to organizers. COVID-19 is the disease caused by the new coronavirus."

The article reports:

“Pastor Craig and I are at home and healthy,” Gruenewald, innovation leader for Life.Church, told Religion News Service in a statement. “While en route home from Germany, we were made aware of the situation at the conference. We immediately notified health authorities and have followed every recommendation. Out of an abundance of caution, we have been isolated in our homes the entire time, even limited from interaction with our families. We have no symptoms, and someone is checking on us regularly.”

And, Baptist Press reports on an Alabama connection, involving a church group that had traveled to Bethlehem.  The article relates:

Pastor Chris Bell and 12 members of 3Circle Church based in Fairhope, Ala., were tested with nose swabs for COVID-19 Friday (March 6) and expect results within a day, he told Baptist Press. They have been quarantined since Thursday at the Angel Hotel in Beit Jala after a hotel resident tested positive for the virus.

"It is impossible for me to believe that God does not have a plan for this," Bell told BP, "because how in the world could we end up in the hotel where the epicenter of this thing takes place?

"And we are convinced -- we don't like it, we don't want it -- but we're convinced God's going to use this. We're convinced that He knows exactly where we are, and He has not forgotten us. And we believe that deeply."

The article says that "Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee President Ronnie Floyd contacted White House and U.S. State Department officials Friday to ensure they are aware of Bell's situation, Floyd told BP."  Baptist Press relates that "Floyd had scheduled a conference call for Monday, March 9 to 'discuss best practices and prevention strategies, and to pray for churches, communities and the U.S.'"

The 3 - March 1, 2020

This week's edition of The 3, includes how Christians and Christian organizations are responding to the Coronavirus.  Plus, U.S. Senators failed to move two pro-life bills forward this week.  Meanwhile, a Federal appeals court has allowed an Administration regulation to go into effect that would prevent abortion provides from receiving family-planning funds from the government.

Christian organizations respond to Coronavirus

As the Coronavirus continues to generate worldwide concerns, there is an effect on churches and church organizations.

South Korea has been the nation with the most Coronavirus cases outside of China.  According to Christian Headlines, South Korean’s Culture Minister Park Yang-woo addressed church gatherings, stating: “I earnestly ask [such groups] to refrain from any religious services and gatherings for a while in order to prevent further coronavirus infections and the extension of the situation..."  The article went on to say:

Seoul’s Yoido Full Gospel Church, considered the largest church in the world by membership (approximately 800,000), suspended public services and said it would launch online services for members, Yonhap News reported.

Seoul’s Myungsung Church — a Presbyterian congregation with 80,000 members — suspended services after two members, including a pastor, came down with coronavirus.

The Christian Post reported:

A Bible school and Christian holiday center in the United Kingdom has quarantined six students and a teacher who returned from a trip to Italy, which is suffering an outbreak of coronavirus. Several schools in the country are closing or sending pupils home over fears of infection.

Capernwray Hall in Lancashire said it was nothing more than a precautionary measure as the students and the teacher came back after working with a partner church in Milan, which is 40 miles from the lockdown areas in northern Italy.

And, Southern Baptists are crafting a response to the Coronavirus.  Baptist Press reports "...the International Mission Board announced Friday (Feb. 28) a coronavirus task force to address implications for IMB personnel and partners, including church volunteer mission teams." The article goes on to quote a press release from IMB President Paul Chitwood, who said: "We recognize the concern that coronavirus is causing, and we are grateful for individuals and churches who are praying for IMB personnel and for people around the world directly affected by the virus," adding, "We are continually monitoring the global situation and remain in frequent contact with our missionaries to take the best precautions possible related to their health and safety."

The article also states:

Southern Baptists ministering in certain high risk areas have reported a rising receptivity to the Gospel, Chitwood said Thursday during a luncheon address at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

"The reality of death sets in on us in a way that is so undeniable," SWBTS quoted Chitwood. "So we're praying for a great movement of the Holy Spirit; for more and more people to be saved."

Senators reject two pro-life bills

U.S. Senators had an opportunity to pass two pro-life bills this past week, but the Senate was unable to reach the 60-vote threshold necessary to move either bill forward.  Disrn.com reported:

Forty-one Democratic senators successfully blocked the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act on Tuesday, filibustering the legislation to prevent it from receiving a final vote. The bill would have required doctors to provide medical care to newborn infants who survive abortion procedures.

Three Democrats supported the legislation and three did not vote because they were campaigning for President, but they had voted against a similar bill last year.

Disrn.com also reported:

The Senate voted on whether to stop the Democrats' filibuster on the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act on Tuesday, falling just seven votes short of taking the bill up for debate. The bill would have banned abortions after 20 weeks and highlights how unborn babies feel pain during abortions.

Court upholds Administration's "Protect Life" rule

The Trump Administration had implemented a regulation that would prevent Federal Title X family-planning funds from being distributed to abortion providers under what is called the "Protect Life" rule. Life Site News reported:

The Trump administration may continue to enforce a rule mandating that recipients of federal planning funds, such as Planned Parenthood, separate themselves from abortion activities, the Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday.

The article gives some background:

The administration’s Protect Life Rule requires “clear financial and physical separation between Title X-funded projects and programs or facilities where abortion is a method of family planning” and bans “referral for abortion as a method of family planning.” The abortion lobby has responded with multiple lawsuits, and Planned Parenthood chose to withdraw from Title X rather than comply with the new conditions. Abortion proponents have dubbed the rule a “gag rule.”