The 3 - June 30, 2024

This week's edition of The 3, featuring three stories of interest to the Christian community, features a dismissal from the U.S. Supreme Court regarding emergency room doctors' ability to perform abortions under federal law and the state's pro-life law.  Also, a federal judge has blocked a federal agency from forcing companies to grant time off to employees wishing to have abortions.  Plus, public school students in Oklahoma will have the ability to go off-campus for religious instruction.

U.S. Supreme Court rules in Idaho case involving emergency rooms and abortion

For the second consecutive time, the U.S. Supreme Court has declined to get involved in a case about abortion.  In this case, the Court sent a challenge related to federal law on emergency room procedures and Idaho's strong pro-life law down to a lower court.  The good news: the case is far from over.  The bad news: emergency room physicians will be able to perform abortions in the state - at least for now. 

Liberty Counsel, on its website, stated...

...the U.S. Supreme Court decided to dismiss two consolidated cases in Moyle v. United States and Idaho v. United States and send them back to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals which has not yet had a chance to hear arguments or decide on the merits of the dispute. In the absence of a Ninth Circuit decision, the High Court dismissed the cases as “improvidently granted,” or mistakenly granted. The decision, issued without a vote, leaves a preliminary injunction in place that allows emergency abortions in Idaho despite the state’s near-total abortion ban.

The Alliance Defending Freedom website related a quote from Idaho's Attorney General, Raul Labrador, who stated, in part:

“The Supreme Court sent the case back to the 9th Circuit today after my office won significant concessions from the United States that Justice Barrett described as ‘important’ and ‘critical.’ Today, the court said that Idaho will be able to enforce its law to save lives in the vast majority of circumstances while the case proceeds. The Biden administration’s concession that EMTALA will rarely override Idaho’s law caused the Supreme Court to ask the 9th Circuit for review in light of the federal government’s change in position..."

EMTALA is an acronym for a federal law called the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. John Bursch, Senior Counsel and Vice President of Appellate Advocacy for ADF stated, "As Justice Barrett noted in her opinion, ‘even with the preliminary injunction in place, Idaho’s ability to enforce its law remains almost entirely intact.’ The Biden administration can’t manipulate federal law to wipe out state protections for unborn children and force emergency room doctors to perform abortions. Under Idaho’s law, doctors will continue to provide care to women experiencing ectopic pregnancies, miscarriages, and life-threatening conditions."

Positive ruling regarding forced insurance coverage of abortion

A new rule was scheduled to be implemented by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently that would have forced employers to provide "accommodations" for employees wishing to have abortions.

That's according to LifeNews.com, which stated in an article published on June 21:

The rule was scheduled to take effect on Tuesday and would have dictated that abortions be included under the definition of “pregnancy, childbirth or related medical considerations,” thereby requiring that employers with at least 15 employees provide time off to their workers for abortions and related recovery.

Federal Judge David Joseph, according to the article...

...found that the EEOC exceeded its statutory authority in its implementation of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, usurping congressional authority in the process, according to court filings. As a result of this finding, he ordered the agency to pause the implementation of its abortion rule in Louisiana and Mississippi while its legality is litigated in the courts.

As The Christian Post had reported, the case involving the two states was combined with a lawsuit involving several Catholic organizations.  

OK okays release time for public school students for off-site religious instruction

There is now another state that has a requirement for public school districts to offer students what is called "release time," which provides off-campus religious instruction opportunties for students. 

The Religion Unplugged website notes:

Oklahoma is the most recent state to allow school boards to implement “release time”: off-site classes with religious or moral instruction that K-12 students can attend for part of school days with parental consent. Gov. Kevin Stitt signed House Bill 1425 into law, which authorized the program...

The article notes:

Oklahoma’s law requires school boards to adopt policies permitting students to attend release-time classes for up to three class periods per week. Sessions must be taught at independent entities not on school property. Instructors need not be certificated educators but must keep attendance records, and students are responsible for making up classwork they miss.

The article reported that Oklahoma's new law brings the total to 12 states who require that "release time" be offered.  Religion Unplugged stated that...

...in Zorach v. Clauson, the Supreme Court reviewed the constitutionality of a different type of release time program from New York City. This program allowed officials to release students from their public schools to attend off-site religion classes.

This time, the justices affirmed that public school officials could accommodate the religious wishes of parents by releasing their children for off-site instruction.

The 3 - June 23, 2024

This week's edition of The 3, featuring three stories of relevance to the Christian community, features a new law signed by the governor in Louisiana which mandates that the Ten Commandments be displayed in public schools in the state.  Also, Colorado cake baker Jack Phillips was back in court defending his rights to decline to provide a cake that would violate his religious beliefs.  And, California lawmakers are determined to force teachers to hide secrets about students' sexuality from their parents. 

New Louisiana law mandates display of the Ten Commandments in public schools

The state of Louisiana has become the first in the nation to pass a law that requires public schools in the state to post the Ten Commandments, according to The Christian Post, which reported, "House Bill 71...mandates that each public school classroom display a poster-sized copy of the Ten Commandments by next January." The article says that Governor Jeff Landry, "during a signing ceremony Wednesday," which was streamed on the X platform, said, "If you want to respect the rule of law you've got to start from the original law given, which was Moses..."

There are specific requirements for the displays, including a "four-paragraph 'context statement' telling readers that 'The Ten Commandments were a prominent part of American public education for almost three centuries.'"

The Christian Post article noted:

Supporters of the law maintain that its purpose is to highlight the document’s historical significance, as the legislation describes the Ten Commandments as one of the "foundational documents of our state and national government."

The bill also allows schools to display other historical documents, such as the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence and the Northwest Ordinance.

The article also referred to attorney Matt Krause of First Liberty, who "said the new law recognizes 'the history and tradition of the Ten Commandments in the state.'"

Colorado cake baker Phillips back in court

The owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop in Colorado, Jack Phillips, who had received a positive ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court, was back in court recently.  This time, as CBN News reported, he was defending himself against an attorney named Autumn Scardina, who had "...called Phillips' suburban Denver cake shop requesting a birthday cake that had blue frosting on the outside and was pink inside to celebrate a gender transition."

The article said:

Since 2012, the owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop has been targeted nonstop and has continually found himself in court defending his religious beliefs.

In 2018, Phillips won a partial victory at the Supreme Court after refusing to make a cake for a gay wedding because of his religious beliefs.

But Scardina called his bakeshop asking for the gender transition cake and another custom cake, one depicting Satan smoking marijuana, to "correct the errors of [Phillips'] thinking."

The Colorado Court of Appeals had sided with Scardina, but Alliance Defending Freedom, representing Phillips, "...is asking the Colorado Supreme Court to reconsider the case after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Colorado graphic artist Lorie Smith last year when she declined to design wedding websites for same-sex couples because it violated her religious beliefs."

The CBN story goes on to report:

The ADF claims activists and Colorado officials have misused the same state law that was at issue in 303 Creative to punish Phillips for more than a decade.

"Free speech is for everyone. As the U.S. Supreme Court held in 303 Creative, the government cannot force artists to express messages they don't believe," said ADF Senior Counsel Jake Warner. "In this case, an attorney demanded that Jack create a custom cake that would celebrate and symbolize a transition from male to female. Because that cake admittedly expresses a message, and because Jack cannot express that message for anyone, the government cannot punish Jack for declining to express it."

California law that would force teachers to keep secrets from parents passed state Senate

Even though several school districts in California have implemented policies that would mandate that teachers notify parents with information about their students' sexuality, the state Legislature is intent on overriding these policies through a sweeping state law.  According to the website for the organization, Real Impact:

AB 1955 is a serious and direct attack on parental rights in California. AB 1955 will prohibit ALL school employees or contracted individuals from being required to notify parents of any information regarding their child’s gender identity or sexual orientation. The bill also declares any parental notification policy that a school board has passed to be invalid. The California legislature is trying to intimidate school boards like Chino Valley Unified, who passed a notification policy that strengthens parental rights.

The bill has passed the state Senate, and Capitol Resource Institute reports that the bill will be heard this week in the Education Committee in the other chamber of the Legislature, the State Assembly. 

California Family Council said on its website that "The passage of this secrecy bill...marks a significant shift in the relationship between parents, children, and schools, sparking outrage among many who believe it undermines parental rights and jeopardizes children’s well-being." At a press conference the Council held prior to the Senate vote, Assemblyman Jim Patterson "...argued that the bill would create a 'government-imposed wall' that shuts children off from the love and care their parents can provide, particularly when they need it most."

The 3 - June 16, 2024

This week's edition of The 3, with three stories of relevance to the Christian community, features a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the FDA's expansion of availability of the so-called "abortion pill," ruling unanimously that the doctors bringing a lawsuit against the FDA did not possess "standing" to bring the case. Also, a federal appeals court has found fault with the administration's attempt to revise Title IX protections to include "sexual orientation" and "gender identity."  Plus, the Southern Baptist Convention gathered in Indiana to elect new leadership and to consider policies and resolutions, including a proposed amendment that would provide clarity on women serving in pastoral positions.

Supreme Court rules against doctors challenging FDA approval of increased availability of abortion pill

Following the approval of FDA of mifepristone, which is one of the pills in a two-pill regimen that is used for an abortion, the federal agency has broadened its availability. The U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling in a challenge to the FDA's allowing the pill to be obtained on a more widespread basis. According to CBN News:

The Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, a group of pro-life medical doctors, represented by Alliance Defending Freedom, asked the high court to force the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to restore regulations that require in-person visits with medical providers to receive the drug.

The FDA had lifted the in-person requirement, making the pills available by mail.

The article notes that, "all nine justices denied the request because they said the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine lacked 'standing,' which is a legal term meaning the group didn't have the right to bring the case before the court as they were not directly impacted by the FDA's decision."

ADF attorney Erin Hawley was quoted in the CBN article:

"They did not address the merits," she said, adding the FDA's own documents show that roughly one in 25 women will end up in the emergency room because of relaxed regulations.

Hawley said while the outcome of this particular case is disappointing to pro-life advocates, it's more of a setback than a defeat.

She added that the ruling leaves the door open for future challenges, particularly from states like Missouri, Idaho, and Kansas.

Federal appeals court prevents males from competing in women's sports

The controversy over males participating in female sports, as well as the attempt by the federal government to use the Title IX civil rights law offering opportunities for female athletes to also include "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" went to a federal appeals court, which issued a ruling late last week.

The website for Alliance Defending Freedom noted:

In a victory for female athletes, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit ruled Friday to uphold a lower court order that blocks, in 20 states, Biden administration guidance documents that illegitimately reinterpret federal law to allow, among other things, males to compete in women’s sports. Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys represent Arkansas female athlete Amelia Ford and the Association of Christian Schools International.

ADF Senior Counsel Matt Bowman, said, “Once again, the administration has overstepped on Title IX and tried to usurp congressional authority. This is a significant victory for Amelia and the Christian schools we represent. Biology, not gender identity, matters in athletics.”

The piece on the ADF website stated, "The 6th Circuit’s ruling only deals with the administration’s Title IX guidance documents, and not its recently released final rule. ADF attorneys are currently litigating several cases challenging the final rule and have already secured a federal court’s preliminary injunction halting the administration’s illegal attempt to rewrite Title IX."

A court ruling on Title IX was also issued by a federal district court judge in Texas recently.  An article appearing at Worthy News from The Center Square, stated:

Judge Reed O’Connor, presiding over the U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas Fort Worth Division, said the issue he was asked to rule on was “whether the federal government may lawfully impose conditions on a state’s educational institutions by purporting to interpret Title IX of the 1972 Educational Amendments as prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.”

“The court concludes that Defendants cannot regulate state educational institutions in this way without violating federal law,” he wrote in his 112-page ruling. He also said the DOE and DOJ “engaged in unlawful agency action taken in excess of their authority, all while failing to adhere to the appropriate notice and comments requirements when doing so.”

Southern Baptists fail to reach threshold for amendment dealing with female pastors, elect new president

The annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention occurred last week in Indianapolis, and by the end of the convention, there was new leadership at the top of the convention hierarchy.  Not only is there a new President of the Executive Committee, which operates the convention when the annual meeting is not in session - his name is Jeff Iorg, formerly the President of Gateway Seminary in San Francisco.   But, there is also a new President of the Convention: Clint Pressley, Senior Pastor of Hickory Grove Baptist Church near Charlotte, who won on the third ballot over five other original candidates, according to The Baptist Paper.

In another article that appeared at The Baptist Paper, written by Todd Gray and originally appearing at the Kentucky Today website gave an explanation about the outcome of a much-watched vote on the qualifications of a pastor, according to the Baptist Faith and Message.  Gray writes:

The messengers did not reach the required two-thirds majority needed to pass the Law Amendment. The amendment would have added a statement to the SBC Constitution that defined a cooperating church as one that “affirms, appoints, or employs only men as any kind of pastor or elder as qualified by Scripture.” The amendment received 61% of the votes taken — a large majority, but a few points short of the two-thirds vote that what was needed. Denny Burk, a Kentucky Baptist pastor and professor at Southern Baptist Seminary stated in response to a social media post, “The SBC still retains the right to remove any church it deems necessary to remove.” The fact that the amendment failed should in no way be interpreted that Southern Baptists affirm women serving in the role of pastor.

He had pointed out that "...the messengers voted overwhelmingly that an historic Baptist church in Alexandria, Virginia that does affirm women pastors is no longer in friendly cooperation with the SBC as it is not closely aligned with our doctrinal statement, The Baptist Faith & Message."

Also at the convention, those gathered, sent by local churches and known as "messengers," voted on a resolution on in vitro fertilization. Under a misleading headline, a New York Times story noted:

The resolution proposed on Wednesday called on Southern Baptists “to reaffirm the unconditional value and right to life of every human being, including those in an embryonic stage, and to only utilize reproductive technologies consistent with that affirmation, especially in the number of embryos generated in the I.V.F. process.”

It also exhorted them to “advocate for the government to restrain” actions inconsistent with the dignity of “every human being, which necessarily includes frozen embryonic human beings.”

The message of the resolution seemed to be consistent with the Alabama Supreme Court's determination that an embryo produced in IVF is a living human being and voiced concern about embryos - human lives - that are discarded by IVF clinics. 

The 3 - June 9, 2024

This week's edition of The 3, with three stories of relevance to the Christian community, includes a groundbreaking declaration from medical professionals encouraging colleagues to refrain from supporting gender-change treatments and surgeries.  Also, a California lifeguard is fighting back after being suspended from his job for not flying LGBT flags at work. Plus, a large United Methodist jurisdiction in Africa representing 1.2 million members has announced it is leaving the denomination.

Medical professionals call out those who support gender-change procedures and treatments

Almost 100 medical professionals have signed on to a declaration that challenges the participation of those in the profession in treatments and surgeries that are intended to help a person change his or her gender.

The Christian Post reported that "... the American College of Pediatricians unveiled the 'Doctors Protecting Children Declaration.'" It went on to say:

The statement was signed by nearly 100 medical professionals, including physicians, nurses, psychotherapists and behavioral health clinicians, as well as “other health professionals, scientists, researchers, and public health and policy professionals.”

The article noted that the Declaration...

...asked “the medical professional organizations of the United States” to “stop the promotion of social affirmation, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and surgeries for children and adolescents who experience distress over their biological sex.”

“Instead, these organizations should recommend comprehensive evaluations and therapies aimed at identifying and addressing underlying psychological co-morbidities and neurodiversity that often presuppose to and accompany gender dysphoria,” the signatories added.

The Christian Post story said that:

ACP Executive Director Dr. Jill Simons elaborated on her concerns about the U.S. medical establishment's current protocols on how to care for trans-identified minors.

“This declaration was authored by the American College of Pediatricians, but really it was developed from the expertise of hundreds of doctors, researchers and other healthcare workers and leaders who for years have been sounding the alarm on the harmful protocols that continue to be promoted by the medical organizations in the United States,” she said.

Simons said that the "American Academy of Pediatrics, the Endocrine Society, the Pediatric Endocrine Society, the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry are involved in the support of these “harmful protocols.”

At a press conference to announce the declaration, "Dr. Andre Van Mol of The Christian Medical and Dental Associations cited statistics finding that 'the natural course of gender dysphoria is desisted by adulthood, conservatively, in 85% of the cases unless it is affirmed.'”

More information on the Declaration can be found at DoctorsProtectingChildren.org.

California lifeguard suspended from job for not displaying LGBT flag

A lifeguard in California, Jeffrey Little, requested a religious exemption from having to participate in displaying an LGBT Pride flag, but was ultimately denied and suspended from his job last year. According to an article at The Stream: 

In March 2023, the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors passed a resolution requiring all county-operated facilities to fly the Progress Pride Flag during the month of June, according to the complaint. June is “Pride Month.”

The article states:

Little, who was the captain of the lifeguard unit at Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades, requested a religious exemption on June 18, and was told a day later that another employee of the fire department could raise the flag at the beach stations in order to accommodate his faith. Meanwhile, Little was moved to Dockweiler Beach in nearby Playa del Rey, which did not have working flag poles at that time. However, just before his shift was set to begin on June 21, a fire department section chief visited Little’s new location, modified the flagpoles, and ordered all the lifeguards to raise the Progress Pride Flag at their stations.

When Little discovered this, he consulted with colleagues and removed the flags. The article says that he was ordered to restore the display.  The Stream story says: "On June 22, Little was suspended from his job and denied paid time off that he had already earned. The fire department also told people who were not authorized to have personnel information that Little had requested a religious accommodation."

So, in late May of this year, Little filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The article notes that "Little’s lawsuit seeks damages, a temporary restraining order, and a permanent injunction protecting his religious freedom." FoxNews.com reported recently that, "The fire department granted him a partial accomodation..., assuring him that he will not be held personally responsible for raising or lowering the LGBTQ flag for the remainder of the month, according to the Thomas More Society."  But his attorneys, according to the story, do not believe that is enough.

Over 1 million United Methodists in Africa leave denomination as large jurisdiction departs

Throughout the years, a major group comprising the United Methodist denomination as it has struggled around the issue of Biblical sexuality is the membership of the denomination on the continent in Africa. At numerous General Conferences, representatives of what has been called the "Global South" would show up and support American Methodists in their fidelity to Biblical teaching regarding homosexuality. 

Mark Tooley, President of the Institute on Religion and Democracy wrote on the Juicy Ecumenism website: 

United Methodism’s largest overseas jurisdiction has voted to quit the denomination in response to the church’s divorcing sex from marriage at its governing General Conference earlier this month.

The United Methodist Church in the Ivory Coast voted on May 28 to exit the denomination. In 2022, this conference reportedly had over 1.2 million members. So, its departure means over one tenth of United Methodism has in one day left the denomination.

Tooley attributes a United Methodist News Service's e-mailed news digest.  He cited a video that had been posted on Facebook, and he wrote:

...the decision-making process for the Ivorian Methodists transpired over only a couple weeks after the United Methodist General Conference concluded May 3 in Charlotte, North Carolina. At that General Conference, delegates removed the church’s longtime stance that sex is only for marriage between husband and wife. Adultery and extramarital sex were removed as chargeable offenses for clergy, along with homosexual behavior.

The quickness of the Ivorian exit may inspire other United Methodist regions in Africa to act likewise. United Methodism in Africa is overwhelmingly conservative and displeased with United Methodism’s new direction set by the recent General Conference. African delegates at the General Conference were widely ignored and already underrepresented, thanks to an unfair representation formula. Plus, over 70-90 delegates, at least one quarter, and perhaps one third, failed to get U.S. visas.

Furthermore, as Tooley notes, African churches did not have an agreement providing for a way to leave the denomination, as American churches had for a while.  However, he said that it's not apparent about whether or not the UMC exercises clear ownership of African church buildings. 

The 3 - June 2, 2024

The latest iteration of The 3, with three stories of relevance to the Christian community, features another flap over a graduation speech, in which a student, after numerous attempts to censor his message, made a bold declaration of faith in Christ and was delayed in receiving his diploma.  Also, a Memorial Day service at a Virginia cemetery was allowed to proceed as planned after being disallowed by a governing body.  And, the World Health Assembly is now history, and while a proposed pandemic agreement was not passed, other harmful directives for member nations were approved.

KY student temporarily prevented from receiving diploma due to Christian content

Micah Price is a recent graduate of Campbell County High School in Alexandria, KY.  He was selected to give a speech in the graduation ceremony, but he had to jump through some hoops before being allowed to give the speech.

CBN News reported on its website:

The grad told a local Fox News affiliate he had submitted a total of eight drafts of his speech before a final one was approved. During his commencement speech, he used parts of his final draft, but when the opportunity presented itself, he decided to speak from the heart.

"Class, before another word leaves my mouth, I must give the honor, the praise, and the glory to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," Price said to the graduates during the ceremony on May 24 held at Truist Arena at Northern Kentucky University.

He continued by saying: "Who in his very words tells us He is the Light, He is the Way, the Truth, and Life. Class, anyone in the audience today, I'm here to tell you that if you don't have any of those things in your life and can't seem to find the answer, then my Lord and Savior is your answer..." CBN stated that, "Price said he was green-lighted to give praise to God during the speech but was advised to only read from the pre-approved script."

Keep in mind it took eight drafts in order to clear the censors.  The invitation had been included in earlier versions, but had been nixed. 

CBN related:

Superintendent Shelli Wilson told WKRC that all speakers were warned that ad-libbing would have consequences.

"All speakers were told that going off their submitted speech, or any unplanned choices at graduation, may have repercussions as they would at any school function," she explained.

The story said that Price met with school administrators and was "forced to apologize." He did receive his diploma after a delay.

Memorial Day service allowed to proceed after initial refusal

You would think a traditional Memorial Day service at a cemetery would not contain any religious freedom concerns, but the Knights of Columbus in Petersburg, VA had been denied by the National Park Service the ability to hold the service this year and last year. 

First Liberty represented the organization and even filed a federal lawsuit.  Its website states:

Until last year, the Knights had always held a Memorial Day mass within the Poplar Grove National Cemetery, and the mass (or a prayer service when a priest was not available) had been celebrated there every year without incident since at least the 1960s. But last year, for the first time, the NPS denied the Knights a permit to hold the service in the cemetery, citing a new policy that designates “religious services” as prohibited “demonstrations.”

The Thursday before Memorial Day, it was announced that the service would proceed as requested. The lawsuit was dismissed. Roger Byron, Senior Counsel at First Liberty, said: “The Knights are thrilled that they will be able to exercise their religious beliefs and keep this honorable tradition alive. We appreciate the tremendous support of Governor Youngkin and Attorney General Miyares in this case.”

WHO are you?  World leaders consider reducing national sovereignty in unprecedented health power grab

The convocation of unelected, yet influential influencers in the arena of public health has wrapped up in Geneva, Switzerland.  A primary focus of the World Health Assembly was to craft an agreement in which member nations, including the United States, would cede national sovereignty in order to implement measures to respond to a "pandemic."

The World Health Organization's website contains this statement:

...the World Health Assembly, the annual meeting of its 194 member countries, today agreed a package of critical amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR), and made concrete commitments to completing negotiations on a global pandemic agreement within a year, at the latest.

That gives the growing opposition to such an agreement the necessary time to educate people about the dangers of such an agreement.  So, that is a bit of a positive sign.  Yet, there were a host of other disturbing developments that demonstrate the globalist ambitions of those gathered under the banner of the WHO.  But, the passage of the IHR regulations represents a way to implement global cooperation and governance without having to exceed a high bar necessary for the Pandemic Agreement to pass.

Concerning those IHR regulations, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General is quoted as saying: “The amendments to the International Health Regulations will bolster countries' ability to detect and respond to future outbreaks and pandemics by strengthening their own national capacities, and coordination between fellow States, on disease surveillance, information sharing and response. This is built on commitment to equity, an understanding that health threats do not recognize national borders, and that preparedness is a collective endeavor."

Mat Staver of Liberty Counsel, on its website, late last week, noted:

The WHO’s International Negotiating Body is continuing to pressure countries to sign on to the WHO Pandemic Treaty. The treaty requires 2/3 of WHO members to approve it before it becomes international law.

But a revision of the WHO’s IHR only requires a simple majority approval of the member states. So, facing too much opposition on the Pandemic Treaty, the globalists are simply writing the treaty provisions into the revised IHR, which they hope to pass.

The WHO is violating its own charter and rules while trying to force the IHR vote. Article 55 of the current IHR (2005) says any amendments to the IHR must be submitted four months in advance of the World Health Assembly at which they are asked to vote. The deadline to submit those changes to members was January 27, 2024. But never one to worry too much about breaking laws, Director-General Tedros has chosen to violate the WHO’s own Article 55 to get his globalist agenda passed.

Family Research Council tweeted out:

Good: @WHO failed to agree on text for its Pandemic Preparedness Accord during last week's World Health Assembly. 

Bad: 

-Work on the pandemic agreement will continue with a goal of completion by the 2025 World Health Assembly.

-International Health Regulations (IHR) amendments illegally passed at the last minute of the World Health Assembly create more interlocking requirements, integrate a focus on COVID (or pandemics more broadly), require greater sharing of resources and technologies between countries, try to integrate national governments on their pandemic responses, and push for more funding.