The 3 - January 29, 2023

This week's edition of The 3, with three stories of relevance to the Christian community, includes news out of the United Kingdom, where the Church of England is considering a more tolerant stance of same-sex marriage while not allowing it under church law. Also, two people have been arrested in pro-abortion violence against three pregnancy resource centers in Florida.  And, a Colorado baker who won a U.S. Supreme Court victory has been back in court and has lost in two state courts as a result of declining to decorate cakes that send a message  that violate his beliefs.

Church of England proposal allows blessing gay marriage by not performing it

The Church of England, regrettably, has been debating its position on so-called "same-sex marriage," and recent proposals indicating that the door is opening for a full endorsement of the practice.

Premier Christian News noted:

The draft proposals - announced by the House of Bishops earlier this month – suggest a set of prayers that would bless same-sex couples instead of legalising marriage.

The plans are the result of a six-year period of internal debate on whether to allow same-sex marriage in the church.

But given divisions among the bishops themselves, the proposals are being described as “the best we can do” in the current context of the Church.

CEO of the UK's Evangelical Alliance, Gavin Calver, doesn't seem to agree that this is a "best" course of action, saying that these recommendations are a "clear step away from the church's historical position." The article says:

He told Premier: “That step away also probably suggests further steps away into the future. So it's not just about the Holy matrimony, it's also about choosing to bless things that perhaps haven't previously been blessed by the church.”

“And it's also about the place of sexual activity in faithful relationships. And so it's deeply concerning and problematic on a number of levels.”

These "blessings" are being referred to as the "Prayers of Love and Faith." The article relates: "Once debated and refined in General Synod, the Prayers of Love and Faith will be made available to all priests in the Church of England."

Two arrests made in violence against pro-life pregnancy centers

Nearly nine months after the Dobbs opinion leak on May 2, 2022, which triggered a wave of pro-abortion violence, the DOJ finally announced the first two grand jury indictments against Caleb Freestone and Amber Smith-Stewart." That's the wording in a report on The Washington Stand website, which states, "The indictment alleges that these individuals 'targeted pregnancy resource facilities and vandalized those facilities with spray-painted threats.'”

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins is quoted as saying, "This, frankly, is good to see if it is an indication that the Justice Department will start upholding the law in a fair, non-biased way...”  The Washington Stand article notes about the three facilities that were vandalized:

These attacks are among more than 100 incidents of pro-abortion violence targeting churches and pregnancy resource centers that TWS has catalogued since the Dobbs opinion was leaked. All three attacks were against Catholic-affiliated pregnancy resource centers where the vandals were captured on security tape — but not by police.

The indictment charges Freestone and Smith-Stewart with violating the FACE (Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances) Act by threatening employees and intentionally damaging property. If convicted, they face “a maximum of 12 years in prison, three years of supervised release and fines of up to $350,000.” The FACE Act was passed to protect abortion centers, but it protects pro-life pregnancy centers and churches too.

But as the website's headline suggests, this could be a case of "too little, too late."  The article goes on to say:

The DOJ’s lack of action on PRC investigations has opened it up to criticism of implementing a two-tiered system of justice. “The Biden administration was slow to respond to the many attacks on these centers despite pressure from pro-life members of Congress and outside advocacy groups,” said Perkins. These indictments came only “after months of dragging their feet on responding to the attacks on pregnancy resource centers.”

Meanwhile, there has been an increase of pro-lifers who were targeted for FACE act violations during 2022. 

Colorado baker back in court, loses again in state proceeding

Colorado cake baker Jack Phillips, who was victorious, to a certain extent, in the U.S. Supreme Court case bearing his shop's name, the Masterpiece Cakeshop case, has continued to face court action since the day the high court announced it would hear the case, in which it eventually upheld his right to decline to provide a cake to celebrate a same-sex wedding ceremony.

That's according to the website of the Alliance Defending Freedom, which reported that on that day...

...an activist attorney called Masterpiece Cakeshop requesting that Phillips create a custom-designed cake, pink on the inside and blue on the outside, that would symbolize and celebrate a gender transition. The attorney then called back—requesting another custom cake depicting Satan smoking marijuana to “correct the errors of [Phillips’] thinking.” Phillips declined to create both custom cakes because they expressed messages that violate his core beliefs. The activist then filed this lawsuit. Phillips works with all people and always decides whether to take a project based on what message a cake will express, not who is requesting it.

The Colorado Court of Appeals last week ruled against Jack Phillips in the case. ADF stated: "Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys representing Phillips and Masterpiece Cakeshop had asked the Colorado Court of Appeals to uphold his First Amendment rights after a trial court issued a ruling that punished Phillips for declining to design a custom cake celebrating a gender transition."

ADF Senior Counsel Jake Warner is quoted as saying:

"...This cruelty must stop. One need not agree with Jack’s views to agree that all Americans should be free to say what they believe, even if the government disagrees with those beliefs. The same law being used to punish Jack is also at issue now at the U.S. Supreme Court in 303 Creative v. Elenis. The court there should reject Colorado’s attempt to mandate orthodoxy and drive views it disfavors from the public square and affirm that graphic artist Lorie Smith and all artists—writers, painters, photographers, filmmakers, calligraphers, cake artists, and more—have the right to create freely without fear of government punishment. Cultural winds may shift, but freedom of speech is foundational to our self-government and to the free and fearless pursuit of truth.”

The 3 - January 22, 2023

This week's edition of The 3, including three stories of relevance to the Christian community, including news out of two states where, moving forward, biological males will be prevented from competing against females in girls' sports.  Also, an NHL player has taken a strong stand based on his faith against a deviant view of sexuality.  And, Florida pharmacies have been put on notice against selling the abortion bill in light of the FDA's decision to widen distribution of chemical abortion.

Boys prevented from competing in girls' sports in two more states 

Since the beginning of 2023, the list of states preventing boys from participating in girls' sports has grown by two.

Alliance Defending Freedom reported that, "Female athletes in Indiana scored a victory...when the ACLU withdrew its lawsuit challenging a state law that protects athletic opportunities for girls." ADF Legal Counsel Rachel Csutoros stated in response: “Indiana joins a growing coalition of states that has enacted laws to preserve fair competition for female athletes. We’re pleased to favorably close this case to the benefit of the brave female athletes we represent who are speaking out to protect the future of women’s sports.”

This comes on the heels of a court ruling several weeks ago upholding a West Virginia law that bans biological males from competing in girls' sports. ADF states, "On Jan. 5, a West Virginia federal court upheld the state’s Save Women’s Sports Act, rejecting a legal challenge that would have undermined women’s sports in the state by allowing males who identify as female to compete with females in girls’ and women’s sports."

Professional hockey player puts "pride" celebration on ice

Ivan Provorov is a defenseman for the Philadelphia Flyers - and a defender of the Christian faith and a Biblical view of sexuality.  So, chose not to participate in a pre-game acknowledgement and did not wear a "pride" jersey celebrating the LGBTQ+ lifestyle at a recent special promotion sanctioned by the Flyers.

The Washington Stand quoted from the Russian player: “I respect everybody, and I respect everybody’s choices...My choice is to stay true to myself and my religion. That’s all I’m going to say.” Fortunately, his coach respected his choice as well, with Flyers coach John Tortorella saying, “It was really a great night. With Provy, he is being true to himself and to his religion. This has to do with his beliefs and his religion. That is one thing I respect about Provy, he is always true to himself, so that’s where we’re at with that.”  As for the League's position, ESPN.com reported: 

The NHL said that clubs "decide whom to celebrate, when and how" and that players "are free to decide which initiatives to support, and we continue to encourage their voices and perspectives on social and cultural issues."

Good for them, sort of.  The Washington Stand article said...

...in its rush to embrace transgenderism, the NHL held an All-Trans Draft Tournament in Wisconsin in December, bragging, “This was the first tournament comprised entirely of transgender and nonbinary players, with around 80 folks participating!”

And, the article notes that, "Florida Governor Ron DeSantis...was especially outraged by one of the NHL’s job postings in Fort Lauderdale, where only people who 'identify as female, Black, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, and/or a person with a disability' were invited to apply." The governor's office issued a statement saying: “Discrimination of any sort is not welcome in the state of Florida...and we do not abide by the woke notion that discrimination should be overlooked if applied in a politically popular manner or against a politically unpopular demographic. We are fighting all discrimination in our schools and our workplaces, and we will fight it in publicly accessible places of meeting or activity.” The NHL has two teams in Florida.

Florida pharmacies warned not to sell abortion pill

The federal Food and Drug Administration has announced its attempt to widen the distribution of chemical abortion, which not only takes the life of an unborn child, but studies show it presents a threat to women's health.  The news has spread that pharmacies will be offering the abortion pill for sale with a prescription, but officials in Florida are warning drugstores statewide to refrain from participating.

That's according to an article at The Christian Post, which says that: "The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration released a statement...stating that Florida law continues to prevent women from obtaining mifepristone at pharmacies. The agency cited two Florida statutes that it says prohibits the abortion pill at pharmacies."

The article notes that:

One statute declares that “[n]o termination of pregnancy shall be performed at any time except by a [licensed] physician." The other proclaims, “[i]t is unlawful for any person to perform or assist in performing an abortion on a person, except in an emergency care situation, other than in a validly licensed hospital or abortion clinic or in a physician’s office.”

The 3 - January 15, 2023

This week's edition of The 3, highlighting three stories of relevance to the Christian community, includes pro-life action in the U.S. House of Representatives. Also, a former postal employee who asked not to work on Sundays is having his case heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.  And, a federal court has ruled against a consortium of LGBTQ students who contested the rights of religious schools to operate by Biblical principles. 

U.S. House passes multiple pro-life bills

The U.S. House of Representatives, following the election of the new Speaker of the House, immediately went to work.  One of the initial bills was the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which, according to The Washington Stand, "requires that if a baby is born alive during a botched abortion, the abortionist must provide the same level of lifesaving care a doctor would provide to any child of comparable age, or face up to five years in prison for letting the baby die. The surviving child must immediately be transported to a hospital, and abortion facility employees must report any violation of these medical standards. The bill also empowers grieving mothers to sue abortionists for their inaction."

The House also passed a resolution condemning acts of violence directed at pro-life pregnancy resource centers and churches. The Washington Stand reported that the legislation stated, "Following the leak of the draft Dobbs decision, radical anti-life advocates initiated a pressure campaign designed to influence the Supreme Court’s opinion...” The language says that the advocates “defaced, vandalized, and caused destruction to over 100 pro-life facilities, groups, and churches.”  The resolution also took issue with the lack of response by the current administration.   

The abortion survivors bill passed 220-210 and the resolution against pro-abortion violence was approved 222-209.

U.S. Supreme Court to hear case of former postal employee who was refused religious accommodation about Sunday work

Gerald Groff is a former employee of the United States Postal Service who, according to the website for Christian legal organization First Liberty, began working for USPS as a letter carrier in Lancaster County, PA in 2012.  When Amazon began Sunday deliveries through the Postal Service, Groff asked to be excused from Sunday work, he was sent to another branch. Ultimately, that branch began Sunday deliveries, he again asked that he not work on Sundays.  First Liberty, on its website, stated:

The postmaster initially granted his request, allowing him to work additional shifts on other days of the week instead, but later the USPS offered only proposals that would still require Groff to work on Sundays and thereby violate his conscience. Forced to choose between his faith and his career, Groff resigned and sued the USPS. The district court sided with the USPS, concluding that accommodating Groff would pose an undue hardship on USPS. The Third Circuit upheld that decision.

Now, Gerald Groff will get his day in court in the highest court in the land, because the U.S. Supreme Court has announced it will take the case. First Liberty and other firms will be representing the former letter carrier; its website notes, "Attorneys for Groff, argue that, as a federal employee with USPS, Groff was protected by Title VII from discrimination based on his religious beliefs and practices. They suggest the Supreme Court re-examine TWA v. Hardison, the key case that determined the lower courts’ decisions."

Court dismisses case involving religious schools' receiving of federal funds

A Federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a group of LGBTQ students who attend or formerly have attended religious schools, according to the Alliance Defending Freedom website, which claims that the suit "intends to prevent any students from using tuition grants, student loans, and any other federal financial assistance at schools that operate according to religious beliefs on sexuality."

ADF Senior Counsel and Vice President of U.S. Litigation David Cortman stated in response:

“A federal district court today rightly rejected an unfounded assault on the religious freedom of faith-based educational institutions. Title IX, which applies to schools receiving federal financial assistance, explicitly protects the freedom of religious schools to live out their deeply and sincerely held convictions. A group of activists asked the court to strip that protection away from schools that educate the next generation and advance the common good. The court correctly concluded that Title IX’s religious liberty exemption doesn’t violate any of the plaintiffs’ claimed rights.”

The 3 - January 8, 2023

The most recent edition of The 3, featuring three recent stories of relevance to the Christian community, including a broadening by a U.S. federal agency of availability of chemical abortion. Also, a European country has begun pulling back on permissive policies toward therapies and surgeries that purport to change the sex of a minor.  Also, two state supreme courts recently have ruled, essentially in different ways, on laws related to abortion in those states.

FDA widens access to chemical abortions

The rise in chemical abortion has become a dangerous trend, facilitated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which, during the COVID-19 pandemic, removed a requirement that the chemicals - a 2-pill regimen - be dispensed in person.

Recently, the FDA took another step by increasing the availability of chemical abortions. The Daily Citizen reported that: 

Recent actions by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as well as the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) will expand the availability of the abortion drugs mifepristone and misoprostol and ensure that companies sending the drugs through the mail will not blocked by an 1873 law making it illegal for the U.S. Postal Service to deliver anything “calculated to lead another to use or apply it for producing abortion.”

The report stated, "On January 3, 2023, the FDA modified what it calls its “Mifepristone REMS Program” to expand the availability of mifepristone to retail pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens." The article noted that, "States that prohibit abortion would still be able to prohibit pharmacies from dispensing the drug, but the increased availability in other states increases the prospect of more babies dying, as well as increasing the danger to women’s health."

The Daily Citizen article quotes Marjorie Dannenfelser, President of SBA Pro-Life America, who said, "Abortion activists want to turn every post office and pharmacy into an abortion business, and the Biden FDA is a willing participant – even while studies show emergency rooms are being flooded with women suffering from serious, life-threatening complications caused by abortion drugs..."

Sweden pulls back on allowing minors to attempt to change their sex

While there are those in the medical community and the political realm in the U.S. who want to make so-called gender change therapies and surgeries more available, a European nation would like to put on the brakes.  

CBNNews.com has reported that:

...Sweden's National Board of Health and Welfare (NBHW) recently changed its treatment guidelines for children with gender dysphoria admitting that "care has been characterized by both deficiencies in accessibility and a lack of knowledge about the results of the care."

In May, the board officially ended the practice of prescribing puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for minors under age 18, but now the board is cutting back on providing mastectomies to minors as well.

The article notes that "Sweden is one of several countries halting gender-affirming care after finding there is insufficient evidence to back that it is beneficial to minors, " adding, "As CBN's Faithwire reported, England's National Health Service recommended that doctors limit gender medical treatments for children."

However, Scotland is apparently heading in the opposite direction, The Christian Post has related that "Scotland's Parliament passed a bill...that, if enacted, will allow citizens as young as 16 to be legally recognized as transgender without requiring a gender dysphoria medical diagnosis." According to the article, the legislation "still awaits royal assent."

But, a high-ranking Scottish official has concerns; the article states:

Alister Jack, the secretary of state for Scotland, said in a statement that the government might block the legislation due to various concerns.

"We share the concerns that many people have regarding certain aspects of this Bill, and in particular the safety issues for women and children," said Jack, according to The Telegraph.

State supreme courts tackle abortion-related laws

Since the Dobbs ruling brought the overturning of Roe v. Wade, states have had the option to craft their own policies on abortion.  And, within the past few days, the Supreme Courts of two U.S. states have issued rulings that are seemingly diametrically opposed to each other. 

Liberty Counsel reports that the Idaho Supreme Court has upheld three different pro-life laws.  The organization's website stated:

In a 3-2 decision, Chief Justice Richard Bevan, Justice Gregory Moeller and Justice Robyn Brody upheld three pro-life state laws and echoed the U.S. Supreme Court’s reasoning for overturning Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey on June 24, 2022, finding that the right to an abortion is not “deeply rooted” in the state’s traditions and history.

The site states that the South Carolina Supreme Court...

...struck down a ban on abortion after cardiac activity is detected, ruling the restriction violates a state constitutional right to privacy.

In a 3-2 decision, the Court overturned South Carolina’s Fetal Heartbeat and Protection Act and ruled that is an unreasonable restriction upon a woman’s right to privacy to prevent her from having an abortion.

Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel Mat Staver is quoted as saying, “While we celebrate victory on behalf of the unborn and women in Idaho, this tragic ruling in South Carolina is a reminder that the fight for innocent unborn life continues in the states. The people of South Carolina need to amend the Constitution to protect life. Three judges should not impose a death sentence on innocent and helpless children..."