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.