The 3 - December 26, 2021

Even though it was the week of Christmas, when we celebrate the best news of all, there were three major news stories that developed, that are included in this week's edition of The 3.  The U.S. Supreme Court has set a date for arguments regarding COVID vaccine mandates. Also, a major piece of legislation, that would force taxpayers to pay for abortion, still does not have the number of votes needed for passage.  And, all 17 missionaries in Haiti who were kidnapped by a gang are now free.

SCOTUS to hear vaccine mandate challenges in early January

After the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit handed down its ruling lifting a stay on the enforcement of the mandate on businesses of 100 or more employees to get the COVID vaccine, a number of companies, organizations, including religious organizations, and governmental entities made their appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. 

The high court has set a date to hear oral arguments on the business mandate, as well as mandatory vaccines for health care workers, on Friday, January 7.  The SCOTUS blog says:

Shortly after receiving the emergency requests last week, the court set a deadline of Dec. 30 for responses in both disputes. The decision on Wednesday to hear oral argument on the emergency requests came as somewhat of a surprise: It seemed more likely that the court would dispose of the requests with a brief order, as it normally does on the so-called “shadow docket.” Instead, and perhaps in response to criticism of the increased use of the shadow docket to litigate major policy disputes, the justices fast-tracked the cases for oral argument, as they have already done twice this year when fielding requests for emergency relief in the battle over Texas’ controversial abortion law and a request by a Texas inmate to have his pastor touch him and pray out loud during his execution.

Rejection of BBB prevents taxpayer funding of abortion

There are still not enough votes in the U.S. Senate to pass the Build Back Better Bill, thanks to an announcement by a key senator, but there are reports that negotiations will continue in order to pass the expansive bill, that includes federal spending on a number of programs - including abortion.

According to The Daily Citizen, a website of Focus on the Family, the bill, with a pricetag of almost $2 trillion, would "have exacerbated the federal government’s debt binge, and harmed families in the process." The article goes on to say:

The bill would have:

• Allowed taxpayer dollars to directly fund abortions.
• Mandated healthcare plans cover abortions.
• Provided “nearly $1.3 billion to help further indoctrinate and brainwash public school students with leftist propaganda, including critical race theory and dangerous gender equity policies.”

And, that's just a sampling. The article also states that "Focus on the Family President Jim Daly warned that the Build Back Better bill would have been an 'unprecedented grasp of government overreach' that would threaten to 'undermine the institution of the family on a number of levels.'" He noted that, “At the core of the debate over H.R. 5376 is government’s role in our lives...The authors of this legislation believe government is in the best position to solve our problems and improve our quality of life. In reality, government almost always makes things worse – borrowing and spending money it doesn’t have to try and fix issues it helped create in the first place.”

Remainder of Haiti missionaries held captive since October are now free

Early last week, the word came that the remaining 12 missionaries who had been captured in Haiti were free.  There was speculation that their captors had released them, but the sponsoring organization, Christian Aid Ministries, detailed a daring escape plan that catapulted the missionaries, including several children, to safety.

CBN News reported on a Monday press conference, in which ministry spokesman Weston Showalter related that, "The hostages were sensing God nudging them to attempt an escape," adding, "Over the time of their captivity, God gave various hostages a desire to attempt an escape."  He said that there was "much discussion and prayer," and that they came to the conclusion that it was time to go - on Wednesday, December 15.

The article continues by quoting Showalter:

"When they sensed the timing was right, they found a way to open the door that was closed and blocked, filed silently to the path that they had chosen to follow, and quickly left the place that they were held despite the fact that numerous guards were close by," Showalter said. "In the distance, they could see a mountain feature that they had recognized and identified in the previous days. They identified this landmark before and they knew that this was the direction they needed to go. They also followed the sure guidance of the stars as they journeyed through the night, traveling toward safety."

“After a number of hours of walking, day began to dawn and they eventually found someone who helped to make a phone call for help,” he said, his voice beginning to choke. “They were finally free.”

The general director of Christian Aid Ministries, David Troyer, addressed the kidnappers in a statement: "You caused our hostages and their families a lot of suffering. However, Jesus taught us by word and by His own example that the power of forgiving love is stronger than the hate of violent force. Therefore, we extend forgiveness to you..." He added, "The hostages told you plainly how you can also be forgiven by God, if you repent. Our desire is that you and all who hear or read this statement may come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, our Savior, the Son of God, and the Prince of Peace..."

The 3 - December 19, 2021

This week's edition includes some really good news out of Haiti: a group of 17 people, consisting of missionaries and family members, has been released by the gang that had kidnapped the group over two months ago.  Also, a federal agency has loosened restrictions on "abortion pill," that had previously required it to be administered in-person - now it can be mailed and supervised by telemedicine. Plus, more court action on the federal COVID vaccine mandate, as an appeals court has removed a halt on enforcement that another appeals court had instituted.

Remaining kidnapped missionaries now free from Haitian captors

Just over two months ago, a group of 17 people affiliated with Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries was kidnapped by a radical gang in Haiti - this included missionaries as well as several children, one as young as eight months when the captivity began. A ransom demand of $1 million per person had reportedly been made.  The gang then began to release hostages, and up until last week, five had received their freedom. 

This nightmare scenario is now over. The Christian Post reported that all 17 have now been released. It quoted David Troyer, who heads Christian Aid Ministries, who said on Friday, "A U.S.-flagged plane left Haiti with the remaining freed hostages yesterday afternoon. Everyone, including the 10-month-old baby, the 3-year-old and the 6-year-old boys, seem to be doing reasonably well..."

The story said that Troyer did not indicate if a ransom had been paid, but he did extend forgiveness to the captors, stating, "We do not know all of the challenges you face. We do believe that violence and oppression of others can never be justified. You caused our hostages and their families a lot of suffering. However, Jesus taught us by word and by His own example that the power of forgiving love is stronger than the hate of violent force. Therefore, we extend forgiveness to you. The hostages told you plainly how you can also be forgiven by God, if you repent...”

At a press conference earlier today, a spokesman for the ministry said the remaining 12 hostages actually escaped, aided by looking to the stars:  The New York Times states:

Twice when they planned to flee, God told them to wait. But during the night last Wednesday, the group of 12 missionaries who had been held hostage for two months in Haiti put on their shoes and packed water in their clothes.

“They found a way to open the door that was closed and blocked, filed silently to the path that they had chosen to follow and quickly left the place that they were held, despite the fact that numerous guards were close by,” Weston Showalter, the spokesman for Christian Aid Ministries, said on Monday, recounting the story for the first time at a press briefing.

They used a mountain as a landmark, and followed the light of the moon and “the sure guidance of the stars,” he said.

They zigzagged north and west for about 10 miles, carrying two small children, “traveling through woods and thickets, working through thorns and briers,” he said. 

Ultimately, they ended up finding someone who provided a way for them to phone for help.

FDA approves distribution of abortion pills by mail

The Food and Drug Administration has changed its policy to allow the abortion pill to be mailed to patients, a move that the pro-life research organization, the Charlotte Lozier Institute, an arm of the Susan B. Anthony List, says would "irresponsibly erode longstanding patient safeguards on the abortion pill, despite major U.S. and international research confirming that chemical abortion has led to a surge in emergency room visits and higher rates of complications."

Tessa Longbons of the CLI states:

“The FDA claims the abortion pill is safe, yet peer-reviewed research confirms a 500% increase in the rate of chemical abortion-related emergency room visits. The FDA claims that complications are rare, yet peer-reviewed research from the United States, Finland, and Sweden confirms the abortion pill has a much higher complication rate than surgical abortion..."

Franklin Graham, posting on Facebook, called the move, "Murder by mail," and posted a USA Today article; he wrote:

Jeanne Mancini, president of the March for Life education and defense fund said the decision “will lead to more lives lost to abortion, and will increase the number of mothers who suffer physical and psychological harm from chemical abortions." This USA TODAY article says this is a “key move by the Biden administration” as the Supreme Court is currently considering possible new abortion protections for the unborn. Abortion supporters try to make it sound more acceptable and less barbaric by saying that it “terminates a pregnancy.” But medication abortions, as they are called, are just another way to deliberately end the life of an unborn child—and that should be called what it is—murder. Pray that the minds and hearts of people across our nation would be awakened to the great sin and heartbreak of abortion. And pray for our Supreme Court to make changes that will protect and value the most vulnerable among us.

Federal appeals court allows vaccine mandate to move forward

Just weeks ago, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the U.S. Department of Labor had ceased its enforcement of an order that forces businesses who employ 100 or more employees to mandate COVID-19 vaccines. This came on the heels of a stay by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. After that, future cases were consolidated by a lottery at the Sixth Circuit, which lifted the stay and allowed the mandate to be enforced.

In a press release, Kelly Shackelford, President, CEO, and Chief Counsel for First Liberty Institute, stated, “The Sixth Circuit panel’s decision to end the stay is outrageous and endangers the freedom of all Americans...Few are aware that, in addition to the President’s OSHA mandate being clearly lawless, its takeover of American companies also includes all religious organizations of over 100 employees. Our clients simply cannot comply with a government mandate that forces them to violate the conscience rights of their employees. The Supreme Court must act, or there will be a Constitutional crisis.”  The organization has request an Emergency Application, which was directed to Justice Kavanaugh, who is the justice responsible for the Sixth Circuit.

 

First Liberty and Alliance Defending Freedom were among organizations who filed appeals at the U.S. Supreme Court. Both legal groups represent ministries whose number of employees exceed the threshold. ADF's website says, "Friday’s decision by the 6th Circuit panel prompted ADF attorneys to seek a emergency relief from enforcement of the mandate—and seek the Supreme Court’s direct review—on behalf of their clients who would be required to force unvaccinated employees to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, be subject to weekly testing and masking requirements, or lose their job."

ADF Senior Counsel Ryan Bangert states, "The government has no authority to unilaterally treat unvaccinated employees like workplace hazards akin to asbestos or toxic chemicals, or to compel employers to carry out the government’s unlawful national vaccine mandate. The profoundly negative effect of this upon those employers and the 80 million American workers who are impacted is just one reason the Supreme Court immediately should halt enforcement of the mandate,” adding, “The Biden administration’s decision to mandate vaccines through an OSHA emergency rule is the height of government overreach.”

Also, as the SCOTUS Blog notes:

On Thursday, the federal government asked the justices to allow it to temporarily enforce a vaccine mandate, with religious and medical exemptions, for health-care workers at facilities that participate in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Lower-court rulings have blocked the administration from enforcing that mandate in about half the states. The justices ordered the challengers in those cases to respond by the afternoon of Dec. 30.

The 3 - December 12, 2021

This week's edition of The 3 features some activity from the U.S. Supreme Court, which not only allowed a ban on many abortions in Texas to continue, but also heard arguments in a case involving a tuition credit program from Maine which apparently is not open to students at schools regarded as too religious.  And, church leaders in the U.K. are challenging a ban on what is termed "conversion therapy," which is the term that includes counseling, including Biblically-based counseling, that can help people resist and/or overcome same-sex attraction.

Texas heartbeat law will continue to be in effect, thanks to U.S. Supreme Court

The Texas law that would ban abortion in most cases following the time that an unborn baby's heartbeat is detected has been in effect since September 1, has drawn several court challenges, and thanks to the U.S. Supreme Court, will continue to help save babies' lives in the state - perhaps as many as 100 per day.

The law had been challenged all the way to the high court shortly before its implementation and was allowed to go into effect.  It has been challenged in court by abortion providers and the current administration - the 5th Circuit had rejected the federal government's attempt to block the law, and it was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. 

Just a few days ago, according to LifeNews.com:

The high court ruled that the Texas abortion businesses challenging the law can continue with their lawsuit, but the good news is the Texas abortion ban remains on the books and will continue protecting babies from abortion whose hearts have begun beating.

The Supreme Court voted 8-1, with Justice Clarence Thomas dissenting, to allow the Texas abortion companies’ lawsuit to continue and the court voted 8-1, with Justice Sonia Sotomayor dissenting, to dismiss the Biden lawsuit against the ban. The Biden administration claimed it had the right to enforce the so-called “right” to abortion, but the Supreme Court disagreed.

So, there is still continuing legal action, but the high court has maintained its position not to interfere with the ban. In another development, according to LifeNews.com:

The high court also watered down the lawsuit the Texas abortion companies filed, saying they may sue state licensing officials, but not the state judges and clerks who are charged with handling lawsuits spurred by the law. That could severely limit their ability to stop the private enforcement mechanism behind the ban, which has saved thousands of babies from abortions.

The article quotes Texas Right to Life Director of Media and Communication Kimberlyn Schwartz, who said: “We are grateful that the Supreme Court practiced judicial restraint today and stopped the Biden administration’s pro-abortion campaign against the strongest Pro-Life law being enforced today. While we continue to fight for this policy in the lower courts, Texas Right to Life celebrates that the Texas Heartbeat Act will continue saving between 75-100 preborn children from abortion per day. The success of our efforts is embodied by each individual life that is rescued.”

High court hears arguments in case of Maine parents denied tuition credits for religious schools

The state of Maine has a program in which qualifying students can receive money for tuition for public and private schools - as long as those private schools are not deemed to be excessively religious, it seems.  That provision drew a lawsuit that ended up at the U.S. Supreme Court. 

The Christian Post reports that:

The high court heard oral arguments for nearly two hours on Wednesday morning in the case of Carson v. Makin. The legal battle centers on a group of parents suing Maine over the limitations of a program that provides taxpayer-funded tuition dollars to parents residing in remote areas where there is no public school available for their children to attend.

The article goes on to say that attorney, "Michael Bindas of the Institute for Justice argued the case on behalf of parents, who described Maine's program restriction as unconstitutional 'religious discrimination.'"

The Christian Post quoted from Deputy Attorney General Christopher Taub, who said: "The goal of the program is religious neutrality," adding, "We've never heard of a school that's anti-religious, a school that teaches that all religion is bad. But ... it's clear that such a school would not be religiously neutral." The article says:

Justice Amy Coney Barrett asked Taub, "how would you even know if ... a school taught all religions are bigoted and biased," noting that there was "no formal examination" into the curriculum.

Chief Justice John Roberts also expressed concern. The article states that Roberts "...noted that the Supreme Court has previously opposed allowing 'the government to draw distinctions between religions based on their doctrine.'"

Bindas said in his opening arguments on behalf of the parents: "Religious schools, after all, teach religion. Just as a soccer team plays soccer or a book club reads books...Yes, it is part of what they do; it is also part of who they are."

U.K. pastors fight ban on therapy to help people reject same-sex attraction

A ban on so-called "conversion therapy," which more accurately can be described as a form of counseling to help people resist same-sex attraction, could be mandated in a law set to go into effect in the United Kingdom, and over a thousand concerned church leaders have signed on to a petition in opposition to the proposed law.

As CBN.com reports:

According to Christian Concern, 1,400 pastors have signed a petition asking the government to strike down a proposal that would ban so-called conversion therapy.

If passed, the measure could prevent ministers from helping those with unwanted same-sex attraction and could even prevent them from sharing the Gospel.

"It should not be a criminal offense for us to instruct our children that God made them male and female, in his image, and has reserved sex for the marriage of one man and one woman. Yet this seems to be the likely outcome of the proposed legislation," the petition reads.

The article relates that "The UK government is currently accepting proposals on how to legislate the ban."

The article quotes Dr. Ian Paul, who is described as "a member of the General Synod of the Church of England," who said: "There is a real risk that pastoral ministry will be criminalized and that human rights, including the right to religious belief, will be trampled on."  He said that the definition of what is termed "conversion therapy" is "ill-defined."

Rev. Graham Nicholls, who is the Director of a consortium of churches in the UK called Affinity, said: "Those who are campaigning for the law, their stated aim is that prayers or any kind of encouragement to do what we would say the Bible is teaching in terms of sexual ethics, should be prohibited."

The 3 - December 5, 2021

This week's edition of The 3 includes analysis regarding the historic abortion case before the U.S> Supreme Court, in which oral arguments were held in the past week.  Also, there's another case of a non-profit organization sparring with Federal government; this time over the right of faith-based foster care agencies in three states to operate according to its religious principles.  And, Nigeria continues to be a hotbed of religious persecution, yet the U.S. State Department has just removed it from a list of countries that have troubling levels of such persecution.

Big-time pro-life implications for U.S. Supreme Court oral arguments

The U.S. Supreme Court conducted its oral arguments last week in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization case out of Mississippi, where legislators had passed a law banning abortion after 15 weeks in most cases.  Even secular news outlets seemed to indicate that changes could be coming in abortion law in America.

CBN related: "Even though the high court's decision won't be known until June, a number of court experts think the justices gave some good clues as to how they're leaning. They think at least five conservative-leaning justices appear poised to uphold the Mississippi law that bans abortions at 15 weeks of pregnancy. The justices could even take it a step further, which would mean overturning the national abortion mandate created under the landmark Roe case."

While optimism is present, the practice of prayer for the outcome is certainly of paramount importance. The CBN article said:

Writing for Christian Headlines, Michael Foust noted the two most outspoken pro-life Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito also asked questions friendly to the Mississippi law.

But Foust also reminded his readers it would take five justices on the nine-member court to uphold the Mississippi law and/or to overturn Roe. At the same time, he pointed to the despair from pro-choice advocates as a sign of how the arguments went. He cited a tweet by CNN legal expert Jeffery Toobin, who said, "If you believe that women should have the right to choose abortion, today's Supreme Court argument was a wall-to-wall disaster."

Judicial Crisis Network President Carrie Severino tweeted about clues that could indicate a ruling against Roe. "Today the Court did a great job articulating its constitutional role: not to pick winners and losers on divisive issues like abortion, but to remain 'scrupulously neutral,' as Justice Kavanaugh said."

Justice Thomas, who has been an outspoken opponent of Roe v. Wade, laid down the gauntlet, as the justice known for being quiet during hearings spoke loudly. A Live Action article said:

Justice Thomas pointed out that there is no right to abortion to be found in the Constitution. It doesn’t exist. No one has the right to kill another innocent human being for any reason.

“Would you specifically tell me, specifically state, what the right is? Is it specifically abortion? Is it liberty? Is it autonomy? Is it privacy?” asked Justice Thomas.

Perhaps the most telling line of questioning was exhibited by Justice Kavanaugh; The Federalist noted that he asked plaintiffs' attorneys: “Why should this court be the arbiter rather than Congress, the state legislatures, state supreme courts, the people being able to resolve this?...“And there’ll be different answers in Mississippi, in New York, different answers in Alabama than California, because there are two different interests at stake, and the people in those states might value those interests somewhat differently. Why is that not the right answer?”

And, the article points out:

To the argument about stare decisis — the principle that the court should stick to its past rulings – Kavanaugh argued that “History tells a somewhat different story, I think, than is sometimes assumed.”

He listed a number of “the most important cases in this court’s history” that overruled precedent, citing Brown v. Board, Baker v. Carr, Miranda v. Arizona, Lawrence v. Texas, and Obergefell v. Hodges. If the court had followed stare decisis in those cases, Kavanaugh said, “the country would be a much different place.”

Faith-based foster care agencies to lose religious freedom protections against LGBTQ "discrimination"

The script seems to be increasingly familiar: a non-profit agency that has enjoyed the freedom to operate according to its religious beliefs accused of discrimination and told by government officials it can no longer behave that way anymore.  That has happened in the instance of faith-based foster care agencies in three states.

The Christian Post reports that "The Biden administration is revoking Trump-era waivers from federal nondiscrimination law granted to faith-based foster care providers in three states..." Those states are Michigan, South Carolina, and Texas.

The article goes on to say:

The HHS statement contends that the waivers constituted a “blanket use of religious exemptions against any person or blank checks to allow discrimination against any persons, importantly including LGBTQ+ persons in taxpayer-funded programs.” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra justified the reversal of the “inappropriate, overly broad waivers” as necessary to ensure that the department is “best prepared to protect every American’s right to be free of discrimination.”

Sen. James Lankford tweeted out: "Biden’s HHS Secretary is again using the power of his office to attack people of faith who disagree with him. Yesterday he revoked waivers for faith-based children's service programs—this is outrageous. His policy will reduce options for kids in foster care," adding, "[Five] months ago the Supreme Court ruled 9-0 that 'the refusal of Philadelphia to contract with CSS for the provision of foster care services unless it agrees to certify same-sex couples as foster parents cannot survive strict scrutiny, and violates the First Amendment.'"

Nigeria off State Department watch list, but violence continues

I regularly see reports from the nation of Nigeria, where the violence of Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen are a significant threat to citizens of that nation, especially Christians.  And, now, according to a report on ChristianHeadlines.com from Morning Star News, the U.S. State Department has removed the nation from its listing of Countries of Particular Concern.  The article states:

Nigeria was the country with the most Christians killed for their faith last year (November 2019-October 2020), at 3,530, up from 1,350 in 2019, according to Open Doors’ 2021 World Watch List report. In overall violence, Nigeria was second only to Pakistan, and it trailed only China in the number of churches attacked or closed, 270, according to the list.

As the article pointed out, Nigeria is at #9 on Open Doors' World Watch List, up from 12th the previous year.  Plus, according to the International Christian Concern website:

The announcement falls after the release of ICC’s Persecutor of the Year Awards, documenting the top persecutors of last year, in which ICC named Nigeria as one of the world’s worst violators of religious freedom for Christians. ICC also released a report on the transgressions of the Nigerian government which has failed to adequately respond to the violence against Christians and even perpetuates the persecution in some incidents.

The Christian Headlines/Morning Star article quoted Christian Solidarity International President John Eibner, who said, "Removing this largely symbolic sign of concern is a brazen denial of reality and indicates that the U.S. intends to pursue its interests in western Africa through an alliance with Nigeria’s security elite, at the expense of Christians and other victims of widespread sectarian violence, especially in the country’s predominantly Christian Middle Belt region..."

That article led off with this statement: "Less than a week after the U.S. removal of Nigeria’s designation as engaging in or tolerating violations of religious freedom, Fulani herdsmen on Tuesday (Nov. 23) killed two more Christian farmers in Plateau state, and earlier 38 Christians were slain in Kaduna state, sources said."

Christian Headlines and Morning Star News also report that threatening letters have been sent to Christian leaders in parts of northwest Nigeria.  The story says:

A police spokesman said Zamfara State Police have beefed up security at churches and increased intelligence-gathering in response to the letters that warn Christians will be killed or kidnapped if places of worship are not shut down.

The article notes that, "Police said they are trying to determine who sent the letters, while area residents suspect Islamic extremists among Fulani herdsmen or members of Boko Haram."