The 3 - January 17, 2021

In this week's edition of The 3, highlighting three stories of relevance to the Christian community, there is a development involving a Western-state governor who has been instructed by the Supreme Court to respond to an appeals court ruling on COVID restrictions in his state.  Also, a Midwestern state has become the first state in the Union that no longer offers abortions.  And, a large organization of Christian broadcasters, while lamenting the violence at the U.S. Capitol, is also criticizing the attempt by tech companies to limit the speech of Christian organizations.

U.S. Supreme Court requests response from NV governor regarding COVID-19 restrictions

Coming in the shadow of its ruling in the Brooklyn v. Cuomo case just before Thanksgiving, which reversed restrictions on worship gatherings in New York state, the U.S. Supreme Court has requested a response from the governor of Nevada, Steve Sisolak, to answer for restrictions in his state.

The Christian Post reports that, "The Lyon County-based Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley has been engaged in a lengthy legal battle with Gov. Steve Sisolak..., Attorney General Aaron Ford, and Lyon County Sheriff Frank Hunewill over worship restrictions imposed in the state as a result of the novel coronavirus pandemic," adding:

The most recent development in the case came in December, when the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down restrictions that prevented the church from holding in-person worship services with more than 50 people in attendance.

The appeals court made reference to the Brooklyn decision and "reversed a lower court decision upholding the restrictions. As a result of the ruling, the church could hold in-person worship at 25% capacity."

Attorneys for the Alliance Defending Freedom, representing the church, said: "After concluding that the Nevada governor treats places of worship less favorably than many secular entities, the court of appeals granted a preliminary injunction allowing Calvary Chapel to meet at a 25% capacity limit, the same as casinos, museums, and some others in the governor’s most recent order … That was error...”

"Show-Me State" sets example on abortion

During this week in which the anniversary of Roe v. Wade is commemorated, there is good pro-life news out of the state of Missouri, which is now the first abortion-free state in the United States, according to Liberty Counsel, which reports that: 

On May 17, 2019, Missouri passed a law that made abortions illegal after eight weeks of pregnancy, with no exceptions for cases of rape or incest.

According to “The Status of American Abortion Facilities in 2020,” a year-end report by Operation Rescue, “Reproductive Health Services Planned Parenthood in St. Louis was the last abortion facility in Missouri.” Despite still remaining open, the report confirmed of “no abortion appointments” being made available at the facility “for months, and none are available anytime in the foreseeable future.”

The article notes that ten states saw a reduction in the number of abortion facilities, while thirteen states, including Alabama, which has a new Planned Parenthood clinic in Birmingham, saw an increase.

Large consortium of religious broadcasters laments censorship

There is widespread condemnation of the lawlessness and violence at the U.S. Capitol recently, but there has also been criticism of the use of that event to censor speech, including religious speech.  National Religious Broadcasters, of which Faith Radio is a member, echoed that sentiment, with CEO Troy Miller rightly saying, "We are shocked and grieved by the violence that took place at the U.S. Capitol. These acts do not represent the character of Christianity or the civility for which America stands."

But, he said, "we are concerned by the growing power of Big Tech and the ability of unelected, unaccountable moderators to control the flow of information based solely on their own interpretations or loosely defined standards." In defending religious organizations who have found themselves being condemned due to incorrect perceptions, Miller says, "Many of our member organizations are dependent on social media and other digital platforms to effectively share the Gospel and continue their work. We have already seen numerous examples of Christian ministries being labeled as 'hate groups' and subsequently being denied access to tech platforms, leaving them unable to fundraise, livestream events, or communicate effectively."

Miller said that NRB is in favor of reforms that would create a "fair and transparent process for moderation."