The 3 - June 28, 2020

On this week's edition of The 3, with three stories of relevance to the Christian community, there is news out of Nigeria, where there have been several attacks on Christian villages.  Also, there is a positive court ruling for New York City residents about the size of gatherings, including churches, during the COVID-19 crisis.  And, in a disappointing development from California, a church has been forced by the city not to be able to worship in its own building.

Concern over Christian persecution in Nigeria

We are continuing to experience a worldwide health crisis, but there is another crisis that continues to proliferate in various parts of the world, as well - that is the virus of Christian persecution, and a government organization that monitors religious freedom around the world is crying foul about what is occurring in the African nation of Nigeria.

Baptist Press reports that:

The Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), a Boko Haram faction, is blamed for three June attacks in Northeast Nigeria that killed at least 121 and injured hundreds of residents of Christian villages, according to news reports. At least 20 Nigerian soldiers were also killed.

The United States Commission on international Religious Freedom (USCIRF) encouraged the Nigerian government to protect religious freedoms under attack there.

The Commission is an arm of the State Department, and made a statement on June 22 about the conditions in that country. Vice Chair Tony Perkins, who heads the Family Research Council, said: "The Nigerian government needs to be doing more to protect the freedom of religion, particularly in the northeast region," adding, "Over two years after ISWAP abducted Leah Sharibu, it is unacceptable to see the group continue to inflict such devastation on the Nigerian people."  Leah was one of 110 girls who were taken from a school in Dapchi in 2018; that ISWAP faction killed four and then released 105, leaving just Leah, who reportedly refused to yield to Islam.

USCIRF Vice Chair Anurima Bhargava stated, "Hundreds have died in recent weeks as ISWAP continues to inflict terror and target civilians based on their beliefs," adding, "Recent ISWAP attacks on innocent civilians are reprehensible. We condemn this deplorable violence."

The Baptist Press article said:

In its 2020 Annual Report, USCIRF urged the U.S. State Department to designate Nigeria a "country of particular concern" and to designate Boko Haram an "entity of particular concern" under the International Religious Freedom Act for "engaging in or tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom."

New York officials overruled by court over gatherings

Throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, there has been tension between governmental leaders and churches regarding restrictions on gatherings. The Christian legal advocacy organization Liberty Counsel reports on a significant ruling by a Federal district judge against officials in the state of New York: Governor Andrew Cuomo, Attorney General Letitia James, and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.  Liberty Counsel states:

Senior U.S. District Judge Gary L. Sharpe issued a preliminary injunction and said that Governor Cuomo is wrong to limit worship services as a “matter of public safety” yet condone mass protests. In awarding the injunction, the court noted that “nonessential businesses” that enjoy a 50 percent capacity limitation are not justifiably different than houses of worship.

The three officials are "enjoined and restrained" from placing restrictions on houses of worship that are in excess of restrictions on other indoor gatherings and from restricting outdoor religious gatherings as long as social distancing guidelines are being followed.

The legal organization reported that Sharpe said that Cuomo and de Blasio "could have just as easily discouraged protests, short of condemning their message, in the name of public health and exercised discretion to suspend enforcement for public safety reasons instead of encouraging what they knew was a flagrant disregard of the outdoor limits and social distancing rules."  Or, they could have remained silent, the judge noted.

California city determines church cannot meet in its own building

It's not related to the Coronavirus, but a church in California has experienced restrictions so excessive that it cannot meet in its own building in Salinas, CA, according to a FoxNews.com story, which reports:

A federal court in the San Francisco Bay Area ruled an evangelical church does not contribute to a city's goals of a vibrant and fun atmosphere, and therefore can be excluded from operating in downtown Salinas, Calif.

The New Harvest Christian Fellowship, a church that rented space along Salinas' Main Street for more than 25 years, purchased a building on that same street in 2018.

The church intended to use the first floor as a worship center, but the city intervened.

The church went to court, and a Federal Magistrate Judge, Susan van Keulen of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, said, according to Fox, that the "church generates limited interest. It does not draw tourists, the court said, and therefore detracts from the city’s goals of 'vibrancy' as well as a 'street of fun..."

Kevin Snider, chief counsel for Pacific Justice Institute, which represents the church, told Fox News that the city "deems churches as less deserving of equal treatment under the law than the live children’s theatre, two cinemas, and event center" that are in the downtown area.

The 3 - June 21, 2020

This week's edition of The 3 features a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court that opens up the language of civil rights law to include sexual orientation and gender identity.  Also, the U.S. Department of Justice is calling for even-handed enforcement of COVID-19 restrictions on social distancing.  And, there is an encouraging story out of a Federal appeals court upholding a Missouri pro-life law.

U.S. Supreme Court redefines the word, "sex" in civil rights law to include sexual orientation and gender identity

In a dramatic 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court, responding to three cases that had been combined, redefined the word, "sex" in Title VII in the 1964 Civil Rights Law to include "sexual orientation" and "gender identity."

Alliance Defending Freedom represented the plaintiff, a funeral home, in one of the cases, involving a male employee who had decided to dress as a woman in greeting guests.  The employee was fired and filed a lawsuit.  ADF, on its website, stated:

The EEOC and the American Civil Liberties Union claimed the funeral home’s decision violated Title VII—a federal law intended to ensure equal opportunities in employment regardless of a person’s race, color, religion, national origin, or sex—by redefining the word “sex” to include gender identity. The Supreme Court concluded that courts and the government may redefine that term in Title VII, even though Congress clearly did not intend that meaning when it wrote the law and is the only body with the constitutional authority to change it.

ADF Vice President of Appellate Advocacy John Bursch stated, "Redefining ‘sex’ to mean ‘gender identity’ will create chaos and enormous unfairness for women and girls in athletics, women’s shelters, and many other contexts. Civil rights laws that use the word ‘sex’ were put in place to protect equal opportunities for women. Allowing a court or government bureaucrats to redefine a term with such a clear and important meaning undermines those very opportunities—the ones the law was designed to protect.”

Family Research Council, on its website, included this quote from its President, Tony Perkins:

"The core issue before the Court in this case was whether it is within the legitimate power of judges to suddenly redefine the meaning of words and rewrite a 55-year-old statute. Sadly, the Court answered in the affirmative.

"Allowing judges to rewrite the Civil Rights Act to add gender identity and sexual orientation as protected classes poses a grave threat to religious liberty. We've already witnessed in recent years how courts have used the redefinition of words as a battering ram to crush faith-based businesses and organizations...

Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the majority opinion in the case.

U.S. Department of Justice urges even-handed enforcement of COVID-19 restrictions

While churches are continuing to reopen during this pandemic and finding some states continuing to place narrow restrictions on these congregations, hundreds and thousands are gathering throughout the nation to protest in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd.  While public, peaceful protesting is generally regarded as an expression of free speech, churches could readily see that their free speech opportunities and freedom of religious expression are being unfairly curtailed.

ChristianHeadlines.com reported:

The Trump Justice Department is pressuring Washington Gov. Jon [sic] Inslee to loosen restrictions on churches by arguing the state’s policy of allowing unlimited peaceful protests while capping houses of worship is discriminatory and likely unconstitutional.

The Department of Justice, in a June 11 Statement of Interest in a Tacoma, Wash., federal court supporting a Washington state church, argues “imposing a hard cap on all religious worship and no cap on secular gatherings constitutes unequal treatment.”

State law had capped outdoor church services at 100 people, regardless of precautions, such as social distancing.  Indoor church services were limited to 25 percent of capacity, with a 50-person limit. The article also says:

U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran of the Western District of Washington said the “ability to gather to express one’s faith and seek comfort is a fundamental right.”

“Just as we have seen peaceful protestors gathered together and exercising their First Amendment rights, so too must we protect the right of religious institutions such as churches, mosques and temples to gather together and express their faith,” Moran said in a statement.  

On Thursday, Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington announced a relaxation of restrictions on church, according to FoxNews.com, which said:

During the new stage, places of worship can accommodate up to 50 percent their normal capacity or up to 400 people, whichever is less, Inslee’s office said Thursday.

This is only for counties qualifying to move into Stage 3 of the reopening process.

Federal court upholds MO pro-life law, concept that life begins at conception

A pro-life law in Missouri providing for informed consent for a woman considering an abortion has been upheld in a Federal appeals court, the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

LifeNews.com reports:

The case — a victory for pro-life advocates, unborn babies and mothers — involves a Missouri informed consent law and a challenge by “Judy Doe,” a member of the Satanic Temple. Doe claimed the law violated her religious freedom because she does not believe that “the life of each human being begins at conception.”

The article relates that the court said, "… a state is free to use ‘its voice … to show its profound respect for’ life...," language that the article says was taken from a U.S. Supreme Court decision.

The 3 - June 14, 2020

In this week's edition of The 3, highlighting three stories of relevance to the Christian community, there is continued action against Christian churches in China, where there continue to be reports of numerous crosses on church buildings being removed.  Church attendance, or lack of it, related to the COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to be an issue, and a Missouri senator is concerned about limitations of church gatherings, even in light of large protests which have not been limited.  And, a denominational report on the Bible's teaching on sexuality has been released.

More crosses coming down in China

One of the troubling news stories that we have seen concerns the removal of crosses in the nation of China. The Christian Post reports that in just one Chinese province in the first four months of 2020, in excess of 250 crosses were removed.  The article, released last Thursday, says that the publication Bitter Winter...

...reported on Tuesday that the 250 crosses were removed from churches affiliated with the Three-Self Patriotic Movement in cities that include but are not limited to Lu’an, Ma’anshan, Huaibei and Fuyang.

One of the churches that had its cross removed from outside its building is The Gulou Church in the center of Fuyang city, a Protestant church that dates back over a century.

The church had its cross taken down on April 2 after over 100 congregation members tried to stop authorities from removing the cross from the church the previous day.

The article states:

One congregation member told the magazine that local officials told the church members that the cross' removal was done in accordance with a national policy requiring the removal of all religious symbols, not just Christianity.

The Christian Post pointed out that the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, an arm of the State Department, "In its 2020 annual report...noted that not only have authorities removed crosses from churches across the nation but they have also banned youth under the age of 18 from participating in religious services."

Church worship continues to encounter legal issues

The move to reopen churches across the nation has progressed slowly, and not without some bumps in the road.  Locally, concern over the growing number of Coronavirus cases in the River Region has resulted in some churches perhaps considering a slower phase-in of a return to worship than had originally been planned.  And, in Lexington, KY, a church that had re-opened has closed in-person services due to a spike in cases among church members.  The Courier-Journal reported:

Clays Mill Baptist Church in Jessamine County, Kentucky, has temporarily halted in-person worship services after at least 18 members recently tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

But pastor Jeff Fugate, who stood alongside Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron in April and called for Gov. Andy Beshear to lift restrictions on in-person worship, stressed there is "no indication" anyone contracted the virus while at church.

And, the governor and pastor traded comments early last week, with the newspaper saying, quoting the governor:

"I hope that everybody (who) tested positive from services at Clays Mill has seen or talked to a doctor," Beshear said near the end of his daily briefing on the coronavirus situation in Kentucky. "We want all of you to be OK."

Beshear then mentioned how Fugate stood with Cameron in April and said, "Governor, we can do this safely."

"Well, he couldn’t," Beshear said.

Fugate responded to Beshear in a Facebook post Monday night, telling the governor his statement earlier in the day was "wrong."

The pastor wrote: "There is no evidence that anyone contracted the virus at our church. That was only an 'insinuation' by the media," adding,"They may have got the virus at a grocery store or another place of business that they had visited. ... Your bias and misinformation against 'church' is too obvious."

And, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley from Missouri is asking the Department of Justice to look into why churches are still facing restrictions in the size of gatherings while peaceful protesters are apparently not being required to abide by those limits.  The Washington Examiner reports that:

In a Tuesday letter, the Missouri Republican decried a double standard in closing churches and limiting the number of people allowed to attend services while protesters have been permitted to gather in large crowds across the country after George Floyd's death in police custody.

"State officials have violated the free speech and free exercise rights of religious Americans by treating religious gatherings and speech differently than the speech and mass gatherings of protests," he wrote. "I urge you to launch a full civil rights investigation."

Hawley said he supports the right of people to protest peacefully but asked for equal treatment for those seeking to worship in a physical space.

The day before the Senator released the letter, Attorney General Barr, according to the Examiner, "said First Amendment rights need to apply equally to everyone, whether they are protesters against police violence or churchgoers looking to worship together."

Presbyterian Church in America offers report on sexuality

The movement within the evangelical church that exalts "gay identity" over identity in Christ, expressed in a visible way through the Revoice conference, has led the denomination in which the two previously-held conferences originated, the Presbyterian Church in America, to issue some strong statements on a Biblical view of sexuality.

The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, on its website, offered a summary, written by Colin Smothers, who wrote:

Last year in Dallas, amidst an ongoing controversy surrounding Side-B “Gay Christianity” and the Revoice conference, the Presbyterian Church in America’s (PCA) General Assembly voted to commend CBMW’s Nashville Statement as a “biblically faithful declaration.” The General Assembly also voted to form a study committee that would “study the topic of human sexuality with particular attention to the issues of homosexuality, same-sex attraction, and transgenderism and prepare a report.”

Even though the PCA did not hold its General Assembly this year, it did release a report, which Smothers describes as a "biblically faithful declaration."  Some of the highlights include:

• Declares same-sex attraction to be morally culpable: “The experience of same-sex attraction is not morally neutral; the attraction is an expression of original or indwelling sin that must be repented of and put to death” (Statement 4).
• Rejects “gay Christian” identity: “[W]e name our sins, but are not named by them.” (Statement 9). “We affirm that those in our churches would be wise to avoid the term ‘gay Christian'” (Statement 10).

The document also "Affirms all desire for sin is sin, including unconscious and unwanted desire," declares that "internal temptations to same-sex desire are sinful.." and "Rejects celibate same-sex partnerships and romantic relationships..."

The 3 - June 7, 2020

On this week's edition of The 3, there is plenty to discuss on the topic of race relations, and this week, that topic is explored and how the Church, the body of Christ, has been responding.  Also, the President has issued a new Executive Order setting aside millions of dollars for the cause of international religious freedom. And, the state of Illinois has apparently converted mandates to guidelines in the area of religious freedom in reopening churches.

Church responds to racial unrest

This time of turmoil in our nation gives the Church an opportunity to speak Biblical truth into the difficulties that we face.  One example is that a church in Beltsville, MD, in the Washington, DC area, hosted a "listening session" with none other than the Vice President, Mike Pence.  The Christian Post reported on the event, which was hosted by Hope Christian Church, pastored by Bishop Harry Jackson, who said that the death of George Floyd...

...was almost prophetic and symbolic of a time and season that change had to come," adding, "Black and whites came together to address the civil rights movement, and we found momentum. I think we will similarly find momentum during this time."

Jackson also said, "This administration didn't create this problem, but it has the opportunity to help us heal."  The Vice President said, "I couldn't help but feel that as our nation reels from the tragic death of George Floyd, that a place to start a conversation is a place of worship," adding, "It's the wellspring of our nation's strength...It's been the wellspring of our national unity and our steady march toward a more perfect union."

The Post stated:

The recommendations that came out of the event included ensuring that black youth feel heard and acknowledged; leaders of faith use their platforms to address race; funding and resources for historically black colleges and universities to increase; tackling criminal justice reform; and providing more practical, hands-on training, evaluation, and accountability for police officers.

Churches are being involved in calling for national healing, and participating in rebuilding their neighborhoods. The American Conservative featured a piece by Chicago pastor Corey Brooks, who wrote:

On the south side of Chicago, where I pastor a church and lead a ministry, Project H.O.O.D., we are in the business of building dialogue as the way of rebuilding our community. We help build community leaders and we equip our neighbors—especially young black men who are exiting gangs—to build their own character and to help rebuild the streets. We build self-esteem and respect for our fellow man. And we build stronger families with firmer foundations.

The destructive violence, rioting, and looting of the last few days, however, have quickly erased years of our dialogue.

Brooks' church members have been helping resident find needed supplies.  He echoes a cry for justice and better relationships with police; but rather than pull back on policing, as some have advocated, the pastor says:

We need justice in the George Floyd case, and we need assurances that these hateful acts will not take place again. At the same time, we need partnerships with the police so they will help us re-establish law and order in our neighborhoods.

A story on the Western Journal website describes the scene in Phoenix last week, as about a thousand Christians gathered for a time of prayer.  The article quoted from one of the organizers, Kimberly Deckel, who said: “I think sometimes we — it’s such a simple thing — we forget the importance of praying and gathering together to do that,” adding, “Just, yeah, the power of being a collective witness and praying and crying out together to show we are in solidarity with those who are suffering.” The article noted that, "The crowd gathered at Neighborhood Ministries, an inner-city ministry dedicated to meeting 'basic necessities of life' for those living in poverty."

In the River Region, ministers in Prattville participated in a time of prayer this past Friday, and the monthly O.U.R. Montgomery prayer event featured a gathering in downtown Montgomery on Saturday, where prayers were offered for racial reconciliation.

President issues Executive Order on international religious freedom

The Trump Administration has taken actions for the last three years in the interest of religious freedom, and this past week, the President signed an Executive Order regarding international religious freedom, according to CBN, which reported: "In the Oval Office, Trump signed an executive order that appropriates $50 million for programs that advance international religious freedom around the world."

The article relates:

Under the order, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will develop country-specific action plans for prioritizing religious freedom.

To top that, all personnel assigned to positions overseas will now receive international religious freedom training.

U.S. Ambassador for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback stated, "It makes international religious freedom a whole of government approach on our basic foreign policy apparatus..."

Illinois lifts restrictions on churches

The state of Illinois has gained a reputation over the last few weeks for having some of the most restrictions on the reopening of churches, but Governor J.B. Pritzker made a stunning about-face just last week, according to Liberty Counsel, which reported on May 28 that:

Within a few hours yesterday after two Romanian churches filed an emergency injunction pending appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, Justice Kavanaugh ordered Gov. Pritzker to respond by 8:00 p.m. Thursday night. Just before the deadline, Gov. Prtizker issued “guidelines” for houses of worship, none of which are mandatory.

Liberty Counsel represents Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church and Logos Baptist Ministries.

As Liberty Counsel points out, "The guidelines are only suggestions and contain no legally enforceable requirements whatsoever. The governor is no longer imposing his draconian 10-person limit on church services."  The city of Chicago had threatened these two churches with "summary abatement," which could have resulted in churches who are deemed to be in violation to be shut down - permanently.  Just this week, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot had issued a set of guidelines for area churches; NBC 5 Television reported:

Under the "Be Safe. Places of Worship" guidelines, churches are required to only allow a maximum of 50 congregants per room or 25% of a room's capacity as long as social distancing can be maintained, according to a news release.