The 3 - December 22, 2024

This week's edition of The 3, with three stories of relevance to the Christian community, features the story of a Live Nativity that, after restrictions had been lifted, a Live Nativity was depicted on the steps of the Capitol in Washington, D.C.  Also, a Georgia state law protecting unborn life once a heartbeat is detected is headed for the state Supreme Court after being struck down twice by a lower court judge. And, a Christian school in Madison, Wisconsin was the site of another school shooting carried out by a student there.

Good news for Christmas: Live Nativity allowed at U.S. Capitol

A legal battle has come to an end, and a demonstration of the Nativity was allowed on the steps of the U.S. Capitol in Washington recently.

Patrick Mahoney of Christian Defense Coalition challenged a prohibition of such displays with a 2022 lawsuit, according to The Christian Post, which related:

The road to this historic moment was paved by Mahoney's 2022 federal lawsuit, which challenged the Capitol's restrictions on public demonstrations. Despite the federal government's resistance, Mahoney argued that the U.S. Capitol — a place symbolic of democracy and freedom — should be a space where all Americans can exercise their First Amendment rights, including the freedom to express religious beliefs.

The article goes on to say:

In May 2024, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled in Mahoney's favor, declaring the Capitol steps to be a public forum where peaceful demonstrations could no longer be prohibited. This decision set a precedent that ensured the steps of the Capitol could be used for public expressions of religious faith, including the display of a Nativity scene.

"This is also a significant victory for religious freedom and the First Amendment," Mahoney said in a statement. "This event has ended and won the war on Christmas in the public square. For if Christmas can be celebrated and displayed in the most powerful public square in America, it can be celebrated publicly everywhere."

Georgia law to protect life in the womb after heartbeat detection facing legal challenge

In 2019, Georgia lawmakers passed a bill that would ban abortion for unborn babies once a heartbeat is detected. So, it was passed before Roe v. Wade was overturned, and on that basis, a Georgia Superior Court judge ruled against the law - and has done so twice now.  Liberty Counsel reported:

In October 2023, Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney first ruled that Georgia’s 2019 LIFE Act was invalid because it was enacted under the binding precedent of Roe v. Wade, which had conferred a national right to abortion in the first trimester. Essentially, Judge McBurney determined an unconstitutional law can’t stand even if it becomes constitutional later. The Georgia Supreme Court quickly overruled Judge McBurney 6-1 citing that the U.S. Constitution has a “fixed meaning” and the 2022 Dobbs decision rescinded the “egregiously wrong” Roe decision and is now the controlling precedent.

So, the Supreme Court sent it back to McBurney, who ruled against the law another time; Liberty Counsel says that the judge ruled that the law "violates Due Process and Equal Protection rights by infringing on a person’s privacy and autonomy."  The state Attorney General has appealed the lower court judge's ruling. 

The Liberty Counsel website says that the law "continues to protect unborn babies with a 'detectable human heartbeat' due to Georgia’s High Court halting that judgment until it can make a ruling on the appeal.

Shooting at Christian school in Wisconsin brings concern, grief

Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin is the latest school that has been victimized by a shooter intent on inflicting harm.  CBN.com reported last week:

Police are trying to find out what drove 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow to bring a gun to the private Christian school and open fire during study hall. A teacher and fellow student were killed in the attack. Six others were injured, including two who have life-threatening injuries.

Authorities have been searching the shooter's home for a motive including possible bullying.

Chief Shon Barnes of the Madison Police Department is quoted as saying, "It appears the motive was a combination of factors," adding, "Again we cannot share that information at this time because we do not want to jeopardize the investigation."  The article goes on to say:

A report from the Washington Post cites a "troubled home life" with court records showing the parents married and divorced several times and that the girl had been enrolled in therapy.

A vigil was held at the Wisconsin State Capitol last Tuesday. The story related:

Gospel songs were sung as tears flowed from the eyes of those who attended the event.

For three years, one man has been taking crosses to communities that suffer gun violence in schools.

"God spoke to me to build a cross. I didn't know why," the unnamed man said. "We had a school shooting in Oxford, Michigan almost exactly three years ago at a high school. I took the cross to a vigil there and after that vigil I knew that the cross wasn't just for Michigan it was for everyone across the country. It's a message of healing and hope and love for one another."