The 3 - June 27, 2021

In this week's edition of The 3, with three stories of relevance to the Christian community, a Louisville police officer who prayed at an abortion clinic has been reinstated after initially being suspended. And, an Army chaplain facing a suspension will not be facing punishment.  Plus, a Colorado mayor stirred up a controversy when he announced a ban on the Pledge of Allegiance at government meetings.

Louisville police officer back on the job after suspension for praying at abortion clinic

In Louisville, KY back in February, an off-duty police officer and his father prayed in front of an abortion clinic in the city; according to Kentucky Today, this resulted in disciplinary action against the officer.  The article states:

Shortly after starting his regular patrol duty later that morning, the officer was ordered to return to his division’s office, where he was placed on administrative leave with pay, pending an investigation. The decorated 13-year veteran had no prior disciplinary violations.

The Thomas More Society went to work on behalf of the officer, and he was reinstated after it was pointed out that he did not violate any department rules and that officers who had participated in protests related to other causes had not been disciplined. Attorney Matt Heffron said, “We are happy for the officer that the Louisville Police Department finally did the right thing and put a good policeman back on the streets,” adding, “But it is astounding to those of us defending him – shocking actually – that the police department would treat a hardworking, loyal officer this way. They left him twisting in the wind for four months because of off-duty prayer.”

Army chaplain who shared beliefs re: LGBTQ will not be punished

And, there's more good news about someone who perhaps would be facing a reprimand or dismissal because of speaking out consistent with his Christian views. In this case, it's an Army chaplain named (Major) Andrew Calvert.  

CBN.com related:

As CBN News reported in May, the Army harshly reprimanded a Calvert for an old post on his personal Facebook page supporting the Department of Defense's (DOD) exclusion of transgender service members, which was DOD policy at the time the post was made.

Calvert was punished after expressing his religious beliefs in a news article in support of the DOD policy.

Calvert was suspended, but it was announced last week that the chaplain, with 16 years of service, would not be reprimanded, which, as CBN notes, "clears the way for Chaplain Calvert's record to be cleared, resulting in the possibility of future promotions and assignments." First Liberty represented the chaplain.

Colorado mayor bans Pledge of Allegiance at public government meetings

The mayor of a small Colorado city with a population of less than 600, Shane Fuhrman of Silverton, made the announcement recently that the Pledge of Allegiance would no longer be said before government meetings. The Christian Post related that the mayor said, “Due to direct and indirect threats, inappropriate comments in and out of public meetings, and the general divisiveness this is creating in our community, we will not be doing the Pledge of Allegiance during town of Silverton Board of Trustees meetings, and it’s removed from agendas and or protocols until such time that we can discuss this at a board retreat or workshop..."

At the meeting, one of the city's residents who was there for the public comment period said: “I would like to make one comment. I would like to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance..." The Post reported, "A few of the board members and those attending the public meeting defied the mayor's order and recited the pledge anyway."

Even Franklin Graham spoke out against the mayor's actions. He said on Facebook, “When they were finished, Mayor Fuhrman said they were out of order and that they would be asked to leave if they did it again,” adding, “I think this mayor is the one who is out of order! It’s a shame that an elected official would feel this way about the Pledge of Allegiance. It’s important that we take time to recognize and honor our country’s flag — a flag that represents the freedom that so many fought and died for. I’m proud of these citizens and trustees for standing up for that. Silverton may need to re-think who they select for mayor."

The 3 - June 20, 2021

This week's edition of The 3, highlighting three stories of relevance to the Christian community, spotlights developments from the recent Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Nashville, the country's high court has issued a ruling in favor of a foster care agency that would not place children in the homes of LGBTQ couples, and a Colorado cake baker who won a victory several years ago before the high court received a negative ruling from a federal court in another case.

SBC annual meeting takes unexpected turns

The annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention occurred last week in Nashville, and over 15,000 messengers were registered for the event, the first since the Birmingham convention in 2019 - there was not a meeting last year due to COVID-19.

Prior to the convention, there was an expectation that the issue of critical race theory would be a major flashpoint.  And, the influence of the new organization calling Southern Baptists to adherence to Scripture on that and other issues, would be tested.

Coming out of the convention, a number of major issues had emerged, based on media reports from a variety of sources, including The Tennessean and The Baptist Paper.

The Conservative Baptist Network endorsed candidates for President, 1st Vice-President, and 2nd Vice-President of the Convention.  Of those three, African-American Lee Brand won the 1st VP slot.  Presidential candidate Mike Stone lost narrowly to Ed Litton.  While some hailed these as well as other policy matters as defeats for the CBN, members on social media seemed to be positive about the strength of the organization.

The CRT situation was handled by a combined resolution by the Resolutions Committee that did not mention critical race theory by name, but supported racial reconciliation, decried racism, and rejected views in this area that did not line up with Scripture.  The resolution passed, but those who would have liked CRT to be named were not pleased with it.  

The SBC is a collection of autonomous churches who have decided to affiliate ideally because Convention membership can produce greater fruit for the gospel.  The Convention rejected elements "top-down" leadership in the Nashville meeting, approving a resolution to override a decision by the Executive Committee to appoint a third-party organization to investigate the Committee's actions on sexual abuse and taking that appointment out of the hands of the EC.  A recommendation of greater financial oversight of the Committee was rejected by convention messengers.  And, Stone, the most recent EC President was rejected in his bid for Convention President.

Litton, who has participated in racial reconciliation efforts in Mobile, Alabama, but who has spoken dismissively of the impact of critical race theory, according to Newsweek, was elected Convention President in a runoff.  He is thought by some to be the less theologically conservative of the two remaining candidates, but insists that he is someone who can build bridges in an admittedly fractured Convention.

Those fractures were apparent at the Convention and on social media leading up to the annual meeting. Now, Southern Baptists have a chance to refocus on missions and evangelism, maximizing adherence to Scripture while minimizing divisiveness.  While media like to focus on the national organization, which is important for a number of reasons, including accountability and allocation of resources to do Kingdom work, there is tremendous potential for impact through each local church - and that is applicable regardless of denomination.

U.S. Supreme Court favors adoption agency in LGBTQ-related challenge

In a unanimous ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Catholic Social Services in Philadelphia, in a case that was spurred on by the city's termination of its contract with the agency because CSS would not place foster children in the homes of same-sex couples.

CBN.com reported that the court stated: "The refusal of Philadelphia to contract with CSS for the provision of foster care services unless CSS agrees to certify same-sex couples as foster parents violates the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment."

The report quotes Jeff Medefind, President of the Christian Alliance for Orphans, who said: "This Fulton ruling means that people of diverse convictions can still serve side by side for the good of vulnerable children in our communities..."

As CBN pointed out:

The city of Philadelphia created an issue where there wasn't one because Catholic Social Services says no same-sex couples ever asked to work with them. CSS says if that did happen they would refer the couple to another group. Due to its biblical beliefs, the Catholic agency also does not certify unmarried couples.

Colorado cake baker faces fine for refusal to bake gender transition cake

Yet again, Colorado baker Jack Phillips of Masterpiece Cakeshop went before the Colorado Civil Rights Commission, the group that was charged with religious hostility by a Supreme Court justice in the Masterpiece case before the high court. 

The Daily Citizen reports on a recent decision by a federal judge, resulting from a request from a transgender individual, Autumn Scardina, to bake a cake celebrating his gender transition. Phillips refused, the individual filed a complaint, but the Commission chose not to go after Jack again. So, Scardina filed a federal lawsuit.  According to the website: "The court’s decision, dated June 15, rejects Jack’s defense that Scardina’s request would prompt him to have to violate his conscience and create a cake with a message he disagreed with."

The article stated, "Jack’s lawyers at Alliance Defending Freedom have already announced their intent to appeal Judge Jones’ decision to the Colorado Court of Appeals. Jones imposed the maximum fine allowable under the Colorado statute: $500."

The 3 - June 13, 2021

This week's edition of The 3, featuring three new stories relevant to the Christian community, includes more state-level pro-life legislation, this week with a North Carolina bill prohibiting abortion "based on race or a disability," and a Louisiana bill that provides for women who have taken the the first dose of an abortion bill to be informed about reversing the process.  Also, the suspension of a Virginia teacher who spoke up against school board policy regarding the use of gender identity pronouns has been temporarily halted.  And a Nevada church has received thousands of dollars from a state agency due to the state governor's overreach in unfairly placing COVID restrictions on churches that we stricter than comparable secular venues.

More pro-life legislation on the state level: NC, LA

Last week, the Susan B. Anthony List reported that 89 pro-life bills had become law during the year 2021 alone.  And, that was before North Carolina passed a piece of legislation that would, according to the organization's website, prevent abortion "based on race or a disability such as Down syndrome."

The article quotes Tami Fitzgerald, Executive Director of NC Values Coalition, who said:

“The North Carolina Values Coalition backs this bill because every child should have the chance to live a full, happy life. We look forward to North Carolina joining the leading edge of states enacting protections against the discrimination of unborn children.”

Tara Sander Lee of the Charlotte Lozier Institute, the research arm of the SBA List, and Katie Shaw, described as an "anti-discrimination advocate," testified before the state Senate, saying:

Sixteen states have enacted bans on one or more types of discrimination abortion – including 12 states that protect unborn children diagnosed with Down syndrome. Polling shows that 70% of oppose abortion based on the expectation that an unborn child may have Down syndrome.

National Right to Life reported on a recent bill out of Louisiana that "...informs women who have taken the first pill in a chemical abortion that, if they regret their decision, there may be options available to sustain their pregnancy and they should contact their physician immediately."

Court reverses suspension of teacher speaking out against gender pronouns in VA

The PE teacher in Loudoun County, Virginia who was suspended because he spoke out against school board policy forcing teachers to use pronouns corresponding to a student's so-called "gender identity" has been reinstated, at least temporarily. Alliance Defending Freedom announced this past week that  the "retaliation" against teacher Tanner Cross has been put on hold while his legal action against the board continues.

Cross was suspended, according to the ADF website, "for speaking against two proposed policies during the public comment period of a school board meeting." The Christian legal advocacy group was pleased that Loudoun County Circuit Court had ruled in favor of Cross, with President and CEO Michael Farris saying: "Educators are just like everybody else—they have ideas and opinions that they should be free to express. Advocating for solutions they believe in should not cost them their jobs. School officials singled out his speech, offered in his private capacity at a public meeting, as ‘disruptive’ and then suspended him for speaking his mind. That’s neither legal nor constitutional."

NV church to receive payment as a result of COVID restriction overreach

It has now become costly for states to have clamped down on church gatherings during the height of the COVID crisis while allow secular gatherings to have fewer restrictions.  In Nevada, according to an article at The Christian Post, the Nevada Board of Examiners agreed to pay $175,000 to Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley. The church had sued the state in May of last year, claiming that the Governor, as the article notes, was "treating churches worse than secular institutions in the state's COVID-19 rules."

For instance, as the Post states, "while churches could only have 50 people in attendance regardless of the size of the building, secular businesses like casinos and gyms could operate at 50% capacity."  A lower court judge had ruled against the church and the U.S. Supreme Court had allowed that ruling to stand.

However, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit had ruled in favor of the church in December. The Post says that, "Judge Milan D. Smith Jr. wrote in the panel opinion that the church 'has demonstrated a likelihood of success on the merits of its Free Exercise claim.'” 

The Board of Examiners awarded $175k to the church in order to provide for legal fees in accordance with court requirements. 

The 3 - June 6, 2021

This week's edition of The 3 includes controversy over the content of high school graduation speeches, including two in Michigan, where seniors were allowed to deliver messages with religious content, and an unfortunate pro-abortion message in a ceremony in Texas.  Also, a pro-life ad centered around the U.S. Supreme Court's acceptance of a pro-life law out of Mississippi has been rejected by several networks.  And, Florida now has a bill that bans biological males from participating in female sports, which the NCAA has seemingly backed down from punishing states that pass these types of laws.

Schools attempt to ban religious speech in graduation messages, pro-abortion message sails through

It is that time of year in which we routinely hear about attempts to limit religious content in graduation speeches, and this year, there have been two failed attempts to curtail that type of speech.  CBN.com reports that Elizabeth Turner, a high school valedictorian in Hillsdale, Michigan, had been initially prevented from delivering Christian content in her speech, but the administration has relented; First Liberty Institute represented Turner. The article said that "Turner...said she is 'grateful I will be able to share my faith with my classmates, and I pray that God uses this situation to advance His kingdom.'"

And, another Michigan principal attempted to prevent Savannah Lefler, a high school senior in Westland, from including Christian content in a graduation speech, but First Liberty sent a letter to the administration.  CBN reports:

In response, the school said it would make a "one-time non-negotiable relinquishment of control" and permit Savannah to recite her speech freely. A disclaimer would be included, indicating that the speech was not endorsed by the school.

Savannah said, "May God be glorified in the situation...I'm thankful I will be able to share my faith in Christ with my classmates and pray that this never happens to another student in the future."

Meanwhile, an article at The Christian Post website highlights a Texas senior who abandoned her approved speech and launched criticism of a new pro-life bill in the state and attempted to defend a woman's right to terminate the life of her unborn baby. 

Dallas high school valedictorian Paxton Smith said, "I cannot give up this platform to promote complacency and peace when there is a war on my body and a war on my rights, a war on the rights of your mothers, a war on the rights of your sisters, and a war on the rights of your daughters,” adding, “We cannot stay silent.”  Smith received acclaim from some high-profile politicians and entertainers.

Pro-life ad rejected by networks

Yet several media networks have decided that a pro-life ad does not meet their criteria, according to an article at ChurchLeaders.com, which said that a 30-second announcement produced by the Susan B. Anthony List and highlighting the case that the U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear regarding Mississippi's 15-week abortion ban, was rejected by a number of networks. 

CBS, Country Music Television, and Hallmark Channel have refused to run the ad, but as the article points out: "CBS, Hallmark Channel, and CMT have aired controversial LGBTQ commercials, Planned Parenthood commercials, and sexual enhancement commercials."

The text of the ad?

Five decades of medical breakthroughs. Every age group has more opportunity to live, except one. The unborn still fall victim to outdated laws. Science tells us that at 15 weeks these babies have formed faces. They smile, they yawn, they feel pain. It’s why European countries ban late term abortions. In five decades we’ve learned they are just like us. Isn’t time the law reflects the science?

Trans sports bill signed by FL governor on first day of Pride month, NCAA backs away from tournament sanctions

While it seems that culture is being bombarded by the June celebration of so-called Pride Month, emphasizing the LGBTQ agenda, Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, the day before the month began offered a contrary message.

ChristianHeadlines.com reported that:

The legislation, titled the Fairness in Women's Sports Act, orders athletes to compete in sports correlating to their biological sex, Faithwire reports.

"I can tell you this in Florida," DeSantis said during a press conference Monday. "Girls are going to play girls' sports and boys are going to play boys' sports. That's what we're doing."

The governor denied that the timing intentionally coincided with Pride Month, but he did say: ""We believe that it's important to have integrity in the competition and we think it's important that they're able to compete on a level playing field," adding, "You've seen what's happened when you don't have that."

Meanwhile, as more states, including Florida and Alabama, have passed legislation that requires biological males to compete according to their biological gender, not supposed gender identity, the NCAA, which had signaled that it might punish states which pass such legislation by refusing to present tournaments in those locations, has apparently backed down from its threats, since so many ideal venues might no longer have been in play. Family Research Council reported:

For each state that joins the ranks of those defending sane, science-based policies, the potential firepower of corporations and the media is diluted. Three states passed laws protecting women's sports this year. All three are hosting NCAA softball regionals, despite the league's threats to the contrary.

Those states were Arkansas, Tennessee, and Alabama.