The 3 - August 3, 2025

Federal employees can take faith to work

New federal guidelines will allow employees to express their faith in their government work spaces, according to a report by The Washington Times on new guidelines from the federal Office of Personnel Management, or OPM. The website reported:

In a memo titled “Protecting Religious Expression in the Federal Workforce,” OPM Director Scott Kupor said public employees have the right to express their religion in the workplace under civil rights laws and the First Amendment. That includes the right to discuss religion, engage in “communal religious expressions” and display items such as Bibles, crucifixes and Jewish mezuzahs on their desks.

“Allowing religious discrimination in the Federal workplace violates the law,” Mr. Kupor wrote in the memo. “It also threatens to adversely impact recruitment and retention of highly qualified employees of faith.”

The Times goes on to say:

The five-page memo details examples of religious expression that shouldn’t result in punishment for federal employees. Included are inviting co-workers who belong to other religions to their church, placing invitations to services on communal bulletin boards and displaying religious posters. Workers can “persuade others to the correctness of their own religious views provided that such efforts are not harassing in nature.”

Veterans Affairs doctors can pray over their patients. Rangers for the National Park Service can join their tour groups in prayer.

Oregon mother barred from adopting children over gender pronouns can start process of adoption

Thanks to a federal appeals court, an Oregon woman who had desired to adopt children but was not allowed to do so because she would not use gender pronouns, will possibly be allowed to adopt. CBN.com reported recently:

Jessica Bates filed a lawsuit in April 2023 challenging an Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) rule that excluded her from adopting any child—no matter their age or beliefs—because she would not lie to them and tell them that "girls can be boys and vice versa."

"State officials demanded that I agree to use a child's preferred pronouns, possibly take a child to Pride parades, and even potentially take an adolescent child to receive dangerous pharmaceutical interventions like hormone shots," Bates wrote in an opinion piece for Fox News.

Bates told ODHS officials that she would happily love and accept any child placed with her, but officials rejected her application, making her ineligible to adopt any child—even infants or children who share her religious beliefs.

The U.S Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit "has ordered ODHS to reconsider Bates' application because she will likely succeed in showing that Oregon's exclusion violates the First Amendment. " CBN reported that she "is now free to begin the process of adopting." Alliance Defending Freedom represents Bates, and "argued that ODHS's policy 'needlessly penalizes Bates and many other people of faith for their religious views, compels parents to speak words that violate their conscience, and deprives children in need of the opportunity to find loving homes.'"

Shooting occurs at Seattle church which had been at odds with city

Pursuit NW is a church is located in Seattle, and its pastor, Russell Johnson, had taken the mayor to task after his response to a incident that occured at a Christian rally, at which LGBT activists challenged those in attendance. The Christian Post reported following the incident in May:

The May 24 rally at Cal Anderson Park, organized by pro-life group Mayday USA for its "DontMessWithOurKids" national tour, drew hundreds of supporters holding signs supporting the sanctity of life, biological gender, the nuclear family and religious freedom.

A short time later, pro-LGBT counter-protesters confronted the group. Waving transgender flags, they reportedly clashed with police in riot gear and threw water bottles and other objects.

After the incident, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, according to the article, "released a statement in apparent support of the LGBT protesters and called the Christian worship gather a 'far-right rally' that sought to 'provoke a reaction by promoting beliefs that are inherently opposed to our city's values, in the heart of Seattle's most prominent [LGBT] neighborhood.'" Pastor Johnson demanded that the mayor apologize.

Pursuit NW was the site of a deadly shooting recently, perhaps unrelated to previous harassment of Christians in the city. According to KING 5 television:

Lebron Givaun was shot and killed Thursday outside The Pursuit NW’s Seattle campus. Surveillance video shared with KING 5 appears to show a gunman exiting a white vehicle and opening fire before returning to the car. The vehicle was later found abandoned and engulfed in flames.

Pastor Johnson described the day as "the worst day in public ministry I've ever had." The article at the TV station's website noted:

Johnson described Givaun as a new member of the church who had recently turned his life around.

"He got born again. His life was changing. He decided to get married. He changed the music he was making and wanted to sing songs that highlighted his testimony," Johnson said. “It’s gut-wrenching. It’s horrendous. It’s evil. It’s wicked.”

The shooting took place in front of other church members who were gathering for a young adult worship event. Johnson said the incident should “shock the conscience” of the city.

The mayor's office did issue a statement that said, in part, “This senseless act of gun violence near a place of worship is tragic and heartbreaking for our city, and our deepest sympathies are with the family and loved ones of the victim..." The church offered a $50,000 reward "for information leading to an arrest in the case."

The 3 - July 27, 2025

LA pastor fired from additional job over pronouns

Luke Ash is a pastor who relocated his family to Louisiana to take a church pastorate. To supplement his income, he took a job at a local public library. That's according to The Christian Post, which reported this past Friday:

In February, Pastor Luke Ash returned to his hometown of Baton Rouge with his wife and their four children to begin serving as pastor of Stevendale Baptist Church. In order to support his family, he also took a job at the Baton Rouge Parish Library.

The controversy began on July 7 during a private conversation with a colleague about a trans-identified trainee who had recently been assigned to his department. Ash told The Christian Post on Friday that he used biologically accurate pronouns when referring to the trainee, who was not present for the conversation.

The article went on to say that the colleague was offended by what Ash had to say, and the next day, according to Ash, "The next day, I was called into the office and shown the inclusivity policy...Whenever the supervisors asked me if I was going to continue to refuse to use preferred pronouns, I told them that I was not going to lie.” Ash was fired on July 10. The article notes that, "A coalition of Baton Rouge pastors, including leaders from the religious freedom advocacy group The Danbury Institute, is drafting an open letter demanding Ash’s reinstatement and protections for religious conscience in public employment."

Formerly gay man in Malta faces possible prison sentence

We recognize that the presence of Jesus in our lives means that we can walk in victory over the power of sin. That is the story of a man in Malta named Matthew Grech, who not only committed his life to Christ, but found freedom from the bondage of homosexuality, according to a Faithwire story. The article relates;

As previously reported, legal problems began when Grech shared his story of leaving the LGBTQ lifestyle and finding Jesus with a local outlet in Malta. He said two presenters with PMnews Malta wanted to know more about the nation’s crackdown on so-called conversion therapy and his take on the matter.

Malta, in 2016, became the first European Union country to ban attempts to “change, repress or eliminate a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity and/or gender expression,” leading to fines or even jail time.

As a result of his public pronouncements, Grech was reported by multiple people and has been in court 12 times since then. Faithwire states: "Matthew Grech told CBN News he headed back to court July 16 to continue his quest to avoid a potential five-month jail sentence and fines after being accused of 'advertising so-called conversion practices.' The final verdict in his case is expected to come in October."

Pro-life protections under assault by WHO, US rejects

The World Health Organization is known for attempting to seize power and control over sovereign nations using health as its vehicle for implementing policies, some of which violate Biblical principles. Recently, the US stood against proposed regulations that would promote abortion. Live Action News stated:

On July 18, the Trump administration officially rejected amendments to the World Health Organization’s International Health Regulations (IHR) agreed upon by member nations at the World Health Assembly in June 2024, which could have threatened local pro-life legal protections.

This was announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy, Jr. Live Action noted that the U.S. is no longer a member of WHO, but when those regulations were adopted, the country was a member, so it needed to make a "formal rejection." As Live Action notes:

• Though presented as a means to deal with “the international spread of disease,” the IHR makes demands of countries that have nothing to do with disease, and promotes ambiguous ideas that could promulgate pro-abortion and gender ideologies.
• Secretary Kennedy and the State Department warned that the IHR contains threats to national sovereignty, free speech, civil liberties, and more.
• The WHO has long declared abortion to be “essential” and “healthcare,” and the IHR has the potential to override a country’s (or state’s) pro-life laws, ending abortion regulations and even forcing healthcare workers to participate in procedures against their consciences.

The 3 - July 20, 2025

Court allows therapy to help overcome same-sex attraction

While there are some, even in the Church, who seem to advocate that people who experience gender dysphoria or same-sex attraction should remain in that state, the Bible teaches that victory is possible over temptation and all areas of sin. Interestingly enough, you have those that have been critical of therapy that can help people deal with their attractions, demonizing something that is intended to help a person live in victory.

Now, a Virginia court has ruled in favor of two Christian counselors who challenged a state law that bans this therapeutical practice. At its website, Liberty Counsel noted:

The Virginia state legislature passed HB 386 in 2020 which banned talk therapy defining it as “any practice or treatment that seeks to change an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity.” Under the law, helping children align their identities and desires to their biological sex was regarded as unprofessional conduct whereby licensed professionals could be disciplined.

The article goes on to say that, "state officials agreed to a consent decree where the court ordered the Virginia Department of Health Professions not to enforce the law against Christian therapists helping children deal with unwanted same-sex attractions, behaviors, or gender confusion." Liberty Counsel also stated:

In the decree, Chief Judge Randall D. Johnson, Jr. cited the Virginia Supreme Court in that the “constitutional guarantees of religious freedom have no deeper roots than in Virginia, where they originated[.]”

Chief Judge Johnson noted that speech “uttered by professionals” is protected and that viewpoint discrimination based on content is an “egregious” form of discrimination.

Gunman opens fire at KY church, 3 people dead

It's always very concerning when violence enters into the church doors, and when we hear about a church shooting, it can produce an emotional response. Near Lexington, Kentucky recently, a man opened fire at a church, shooting four people, leaving two dead at the church. The gunman is also reportedly dead. Todd Starnes, at his website, reported:

Police say the gunman opened fire on parishioners outside Richmond Road Baptist Church. Two women were killed. Two men survived with one in critical condition. Police say the gunman may have had a connection to the church. A state trooper was shot earlier near the Bluegrass Airport. The trooper is in stable condition. The gunman, who has not been identified, was killed by law enforcement at the church.

WLWT Television reported just days ago that the shooter was identified as Guy House, and offered this account of events:

...House is alleged to have shot a Kentucky state trooper near the Blue Grass Airport in Lexington during a traffic stop. This led House to subsequently drive 16 miles to the church, where police say he intended to harm his ex-girlfriend.

However, when House discovered she was not present at the church, he is then said to have shot the pastor of the church, Jerry Gumm, as well as his wife, Beverly Gumm, and their daughter, Christina Combs.

All three are related to House's ex-girlfriend.

Beverly Gumm and Combs both died as a result of their injuries. Meanwhile, Jerry Gumm remains in critical condition from the shooting. Combs' husband, Randy Combs, was also injured.

West Virginia abortion ban upheld by court

A manufacturer of the abortion pill, mifepristone, had filed a lawsuit against West Virginia's pro-life law. A Federal appeals court has refused to strike down the law. The Hill reported:

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit dismissed mifepristone manufacturer GenBioPro’s effort to strike down West Virginia’s near-total abortion ban in a 2-1 decision. The court ruled FDA’s approval of mifepristone did not preempt West Virginia’s law.

The article noted that the manufacturer, GenBioPro, "argued that FDA’s authority to impose regulations on the prescription and distribution of mifepristone superseded state efforts to restrict access to medications. A lower court ruled against the company, which then appealed the decision." The Hill goes on to say:

Circuit Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson wrote that a 2007 federal law “leaves the states free to adopt or diverge from West Virginia’s path” and it “falls well short of expressing a clear intention to displace the states’ historic and sovereign right to protect the health and safety of their citizens.”

The 3 - July 13, 2025

Baylor reverses course, rejects hundreds of thousands of dollars to study LGBT "inclusion"

On Thursday's edition of The Meeting House on Faith Radio, I referenced a news story from The Daily Citizen about a substantial grant that Baylor University had received dealing with LGBT inclusion.  Glenn Stanton of Focus on the Family had written that article, which stated, as an updated version on the website noted:

We explained,

On June 30, Baylor University announced its Center for Church and Community Impact (C3I) in its School of Social Work was awarded a substantial $643,401 grant from the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation to help “better understand the disenfranchisement and exclusion of LGBTQIA+ individuals and women within congregations to nurture institutional courage and foster change.”

But, there are new developments, according to Stanton: "Baylor’s Media and Public Relations office also sent Daily Citizen a link to Baylor President Linda A. Livingstone’s 'message to the Baylor family' on the decision to return 'all associated funds to the granting foundation.'" He went on to say:

President Livingstone helpfully notes the funded research project was “for perspectives on human sexuality that are inconsistent with Baylor’s institutional policies, including our Statement on Human Sexuality.”

Livingstone is quoted as saying: “We affirm the biblical understanding of human sexuality as a gift from God, expressed through purity in singleness and fidelity in marriage between a man and a woman.”

But, as Stanton notes, earlier in that letter, Livingstone had said:

We remain committed to providing a loving and caring community for all – including our LGBTQIA+ students – because it is part and parcel of our University’s mission that calls us to educate our students within a caring Christian community.

At The Daily Citizen, Stanton says: "Loving and caring for all students who come to a university to study and grow is critical. No one should ever be mistreated while an institution seeks to hold fast to the biblical norm of human sexuality. Nor should a Christian institution casually adopt the specific language of an ideology that is directly opposed to what a university says it stands for on sexuality and marriage."

Megan Basham of The Daily Wire, in a post on X, said:

It’s a win that @Baylor is returning the LGBTQ grant, but this statement from President
@LindaLlivings is appalling. Nowhere does address LGBTQ behaviors and identities as sin. Instead, it is all an appeal to the accommodation of LGBTQ ideology. 

And nowhere does she address faculty that are openly promoting LGBTQ affirmation in opposition to a Christian worldview. Baylor staff is openly flaunting their rebellion to God‘s Word and she has allowed this. 

Further, in her role as board member of the NCAA, she refused to speak up on behalf of young female athletes who appealed to her to use her position to help keep men out of women’s sports. 

The rot is extensive at Baylor and it begins with Livingstone.

Agreement reached that would change the way that churches engage in political speech

For years, there have been restrictions placed on churches regarding comments on cultural issues and on the positions on candidates on those issues.  These were part of the so-called Johnson Amendment, affecting policies of the Internal Revenue Service.

Liberty Counsel relates: "In a recent court filing, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has agreed that churches and other houses of worship are not prohibited from engaging in political speech."

The analysis by the Christian legal organization stated:

This was prompted as a result by a lawsuit filed in a U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas by the National Religious Broadcasters, Intercessors for America, along with two Baptist churches in Texas, against Billy Long, in his official capacity as Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service...

Liberty Counsel also said:

In a joint motion with the plaintiffs to settle the lawsuit, the IRS agreed to view endorsements of political candidates from the pulpit as private matters, not as a form of campaigning. The motion asked the court to bar any presidential administration from hindering the plaintiffs from backing candidates in front of their congregations. The IRS said that if a house of worship endorsed a candidate to its congregants, the agency would view that not as campaigning but as a private matter, like “a family discussion concerning candidates.”

NRB General Counsel Michael Farris stated in a recent e-mail: "The joint filing made with the Justice Department for a consent decree in our constitutional challenge to the Johnson Amendment is not final until reviewed by the judge...," noting, "We cannot make public comment until the judge has made his ruling..." But, NRB was able to include comments from a variety of Christian leaders in that e-mail.

Florida teacher fails in court in attempt to force students and other staff to use "gender" pronouns

As The Christian Post reported: "Public school teachers can no longer demand that staff and students refer to them as the opposite sex, an appeals court has ruled."

In 2023, the state of Florida had passed a law, which stated: "[a]n employee or contractor of a public K-12 educational institution may not provide to a student his or her preferred personal title or pronouns if such preferred personal title or pronouns do not correspond to his or her sex.”  That law was upheld in a 2-1 ruling by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals; the article noted:

The three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit ruled 2-1 that Katie Wood, a high school math teacher who is a man but identifies as a woman, could not require the use of feminine pronouns or the honorific “Ms.”

A lower court decision, according to the article, determined "that Wood’s self-declared pronouns were speech from a 'private citizen' rather than a 'government employee.'” The article said that Judge Kevin Newsom, in the majority opinion...

...wrote that “a teacher’s right to speak is not without limits” and that Wood “cannot show, with respect to the expression at issue here, that she was speaking as a private citizen rather than a government employee.”

The 3 - July 6, 2025

One Big, Beautiful Bill contains beautiful protection of life

Last Thursday, for a second time, the U.S. House passed what President Trump had affectionately named the "One Big, Beautiful Bill," after the original version passed by the House had been amended by the Senate.

In addition to the extension of the 2017 tax cuts by the first Trump Administration, Medicaid reform, border enforcement, and defense spending were some of the headline-grabbing aspects of the bill.

But, there was an element that was gratifying to some in the pro-life community - for the first time in history, Congress had removed Planned Parenthood from receiving taxpayer funds. As The Daily Citizen put it:

The bill defunds Planned Parenthood, our nation’s largest abortion seller, of roughly $500 million in taxpayer dollars.

Despite demands from pro-life supporters for years, Congress has continually permitted Planned Parenthood to receive hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars annually in the form of government grants, contracts and Medicaid reimbursements. But no longer.

The abortion giant has warned H.R. 1 could lead to the closure of nearly half of abortion-providing Planned Parenthood centers. Such a result would be a truly monumental win for life.

But there was some disappointment in the pro-life community.  Live Action News spells it out:

The reconciliation bill, which originally defunded Planned Parenthood of Medicaid payments for 10 years when the House first passed it in May, will now defund the abortion giant for just one year due to changes made in the Senate before its passage on July 1.

The piece included comments from Live Action Founder and President Lila Rose, who said in a statement: “For years, Americans have been forced to subsidize the killing of innocent children and the exploitation of vulnerable women. Planned Parenthood is the nation’s largest abortion chain, ending over 400,000 lives annually while masking their business as healthcare. This defunding victory is a crucial step toward ending that injustice,” adding, “But this is only the beginning. Every dollar stripped from the abortion giant is a win for life, but the goal is total and permanent defunding and the closing of every abortion facility’s doors. No taxpayer should ever be complicit in violence. Every mother deserves real support, and every child deserves the chance to live.”

Developments regarding the issue of males participating in female sports: UPenn reverses course, high court announces it will hear case

One of the symbolic individuals regarding the unfairness of males competing in women's sports is a former University of Pennsylvania swimmer named Will Thomas, who identified as a female named, Lia.  The victories that Thomas "won" in his cosplay scheme will now be coming off the board. According to Newsweek: "The University of Pennsylvania has agreed to ban transgender women from its women's sports teams, resolving a federal civil rights investigation centered on former swimmer Lia Thomas."  Just to be clear, when you hear the term, "transgender woman," it actually means a biological male presenting as a woman.  The article continues:

The U.S. Department of Education announced the voluntary agreement Tuesday, stating that Penn violated Title IX by allowing Thomas to compete in women's events during the 2021–2022 season.

As part of the resolution, Penn will reinstate Division I swimming records and titles to athletes displaced by Thomas's victories and issue personalized apology letters to each of them, per the Department of Education. The university must adopt "biology-based" definitions of male and female in athletics and publicly commit to barring "males from competing in female athletic programs." 

Riley Gaines, who has become a leading spokesperson for the integrity of female sports, who actually tied Thomas in a swim meet, but who did not receive the trophy to recognize it, is quoted in the Newsweek article as saying, "This Administration isn't just talking about women's equality, but instead actively defending it. I hope this sends a clear message to educational institutions: you can no longer disregard women's civil rights. And to every female athlete, know this: your dignity, safety, and fairness matter, and our nation's leaders will not stop fighting for them."

Meanwhile, the issue, at last, will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.  Alliance Defending Freedom reported: "The U.S. Supreme Court agreed...to hear two cases concerning state laws that protect women’s sports. The states of West Virginia and Idaho, together with attorneys from Alliance Defending Freedom, asked the high court to take the cases." The ADF website stated:

In State of West Virginia v. B.P.J., West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey, supported by ADF attorneys who serve as co-counsel and also as counsel to former college soccer player Lainey Armistead, asked the Supreme Court to hear their case after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit ruled against West Virginia’s law protecting fairness in women’s sports. In Little v. Hecox, Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador, also supported by ADF attorneys as co-counsel, is asking the high court to uphold his state’s Fairness in Women’s Sports Act after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit stopped the law from going into effect.

Eight evangelical Church leaders in Colombia slain

From time to time, we learn about unfortunate occurrences somewhere around the world where Christians experience death and other forms of punishment for the practice of their faith. The Christian Post reported last week:

In an event that has shaken the country, Colombian authorities located on Tuesday a mass grave in a rural area of the municipality of Calamar, department of Guaviare, which contained the bodies of eight Christian religious leaders.

The victims, natives of Arauca, were carrying out humanitarian and spiritual work in that region when they were disappeared.

The article related: "The discovery was made possible by the capture of a guerrilla in May, whose mobile phone contained photographs of the detained leaders and, subsequently, of the crime, which made it possible to locate the grave and proceed with its exhumation."

A statement by the Evangelical Confederation of Colombia said:

"We ask for prayer for peace and consolation to these families; We raise a firm voice of clamor and demand to the authorities so that these crimes do not go unpunished, that progress is made quickly in the investigations and that real guarantees are provided for the protection of the life and integrity of those who exercise spiritual leadership in the most vulnerable regions of the country...

While President Gustavo Petro decried the mass murder, the article said that his government's involvement is insufficient, according to the daughter of one of those losing their lives in this incident. She told the newspaper, SEMANA, that they are calling on the Petro government "to be present and to avoid this type of situation, because two armed groups are disputing the territory and the one that is in the middle is the peasantry and there is no response from the State. There is no protection from the State. In other words, here we are really alone in a war between two armed groups..." 

The 3 - June 29, 2025

High court decides state can decide whether or not to fund abortion through Medicaid program

Momentum continues to build regarding not allowing taxpayer money to fund abortion through Planned Parenthood, the nation's largest abortion provider.  The pro-life organization, Live Action, sponsored a "Defund Day," this past Saturday, June 28, with peaceful demonstrations planned at over 200 Planned Parenthood centers around America, according to Live Action's website. 

Live Action reports that Planned Parenthood "...receives more than $800M annually while killing over 400,000 preborn children and providing life-altering cross-sex hormones to minors," and notes, "The U.S. Senate is expected to vote on a budget reconciliation bill, which currently contains provisions to defund Planned Parenthood, before July 4."

And, a major decision from the U.S. Supreme Court will allow states to decide whether or not to fund abortion through its state Medicaid programs.  Live Action states:

A decision from the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic will allow states to redirect taxpayer dollars away from abortion facilities like Planned Parenthood.

The article continued:

“States are now free to defund Planned Parenthood and redirect taxpayer dollars to real, life-affirming care,” Alliance Defending Freedom, a pro-life legal group which represented the director of the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services in the case, wrote on X...

Live Action offered these talking points:

• In the case of Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that states may redirect Medicaid dollars away from abortion providers, even if they offer other services that qualify for Medicaid dollars.
• Three states (Arkansas, Missouri, and Texas) had already defunded Planned Parenthood prior to this case.
• In South Carolina, the governor had issued an executive order (EO) defunding abortion providers from the state’s Medicaid program, regardless of other services they might provide. The Court decision affirms the legality of this EO.

SCOTUS rules in favor of parents in their quest to "opt-out" their children from objectionable content

Sticking with U.S. Supreme Court action here, as Liberty Counsel reports:

...the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Mahmoud v. Taylor that parents in this case are likely to succeed on the merits to opt their children out of LGBTQ-themed instruction that contradicts their religious beliefs. The High Court sided against Maryland’s Montgomery County Board of Education after it compelled offensive instruction on gender and sexuality for pre-K through eighth grade children without notice or opportunity to opt out. The High Court said this policy of not allowing opt-outs interferes with a child’s development and is an unconstitutional burden of religious exercise.

Here is some stunning information from the Liberty Counsel website:

The LGBT instruction includes more than “22 LGBTQ+-inclusive” storybooks infused with radical gender ideology, such as the false idea of “gender transitions,” “Pride parades,” and same-sex romances between minors. The books are used for instruction in pre-K through eighth grade classrooms where some are taught to children as young as three years old. The parents sought to block the cancellation of the opt-out policy by arguing this instruction interferes with their religious beliefs on gender and sexuality as well as their constitutional right to direct the upbringing and education of their children.

The article goes on to say:

Liberty Counsel filed an amicus brief in the case arguing that teaching this curriculum without any ability to opt out compels affirmation of repugnant beliefs, degrades the purity of children, and imposes a penalty on religion by making public education – a government benefit – contingent upon lessons that burden parents’ faith.

CO camp can continue to operate according to its Christian values

A camp that caters to children and teens in Colorado can continue to operate according to Biblical principles, as it has since its founding in 1948.  Camp IdRaHaJe, which is an abbreviation for "I'd Rather Have Jesus," was facing punitive action as the result of a new policy from the Colorado Department of Early Childhood, according to Alliance Defending Freedom, "...requiring children’s camps to allow campers to access bathing, dressing, and sleeping facilities designated for the opposite sex. When the camp requested to operate consistently with its religious beliefs, the department denied the request, forcing the camp to choose between upholding its beliefs about biological sex and risking losing its license or abandoning its beliefs and mission to minister to children. The camp filed suit in May."

ADF reported on its website that the camp "...has reached a favorable settlement with state officials that allows the camp to operate without compromising its religious and commonsense beliefs about biological sex." The legal organization noted, "As part of the settlement, Colorado agreed not to take any enforcement action against Camp IdRaHaJe for violation of the gender identity requirements. The state is also clarifying in a memo on its website and in administrative guides that 'churches, synagogues, mosques, or any other place that is principally used for religious purposes' are exempt from the requirements."

The 3 - June 22, 2025

Just after LA law on 10 Commandments in schools put on hold by federal appeals court, TX governor signs similar bill

Over the weekend, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed legislation that, according to the Texas Values website, would "allow the display of the Ten Commandments in Texas public schools." The website noted that the bill, "SB 10 will go into effect September 1, 2025."

Jonathan Saenz, President and Attorney for Texas Values, issued a statement that said:

“This is a Texas-sized blessing that the Ten Commandments will now be displayed for students to see, much like the Ten Commandments Monument at the Texas Capitol and in the U. S. Supreme Court. Just like twenty years ago when he protected the Ten Commandments at the U. S. Supreme Court, Governor Abbott “fulfilled the law” by signing SB 10 today, making it clear that there will be a Ten Commandments displayed in every Texas public school classroom.”

Meanwhile, as The Christian Post reported last Friday, "An appeals court panel has unanimously ruled against a recently passed Louisiana law that requires the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools." The article said:

A three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit issued a decision on Friday upholding a lower court ruling against House Bill 71, which was passed last year.

Circuit Judge Irma Carrillo Ramirez, a Biden appointee, authored the panel opinion, ruling that the law “inflicts significant practical harm on Plaintiffs’ First Amendment rights.”

SCOTUS rules in favor of TN law preventing gender-change procedures

Meanwhile, at the U.S. Supreme Court, a much-watched case was decided by the justices regarding surgeries and treatments that are intended to help an individual change his or her gender.  The case involved legislation out of Tennessee that would ban these procedures on minors.

Alliance Defending Freedom reported online:

In a landmark victory for children’s health and science-based medicine, the U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday upheld Tennessee’s law protecting minors from harmful and life-altering drugs and surgeries. The ruling will help protect 26 similar state laws and return common sense to America’s medical system.

ADF CEO and President Kristen Waggoner stated that, “The Biden administration and ACLU asked the court to create a ‘constitutional right’ to give children harmful, experimental drugs and surgeries that turn them into patients for life. This would have forced states to base their laws on ideology, not evidence—to the immense harm of countless children. The court’s rejection of that request is a monumental victory for children, science, and common sense."

And, as The Daily Citizen reported earlier this month:

The FBI is targeting medical professionals and institutions that mutilate children with experimental “transgender” interventions – drugs, hormones and surgeries – that leave children sterile, sick and permanently damaged.

The FBI action followed a memo from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.  The Daily Citizen article noted:

Bondi rebuked the medical community, which should be rooted in evidence-based science and medicine, for not serving “as a bulwark against this sociological disease,” adding,

“Between 2019 and 2023, an estimated 14,000 children received “treatment” for gender dysphoria, with more than 5,700 subjected to life-altering surgeries.”

“The practitioners who provided this so-called ‘care’ profited while their patients were left permanently disfigured, scarred and sterilized.”

CA mom invited back to speak (and presumably pray) at City Council meeting

Tarin Swain decided she wanted to speak out about a local policy that she believed was in opposition to her Biblical beliefs.  So, she attended a Ventura City Council meeting in California to exercise her free speech rights as allotted by the council.  First Liberty reported on its website:

At the April city council meeting, Tarin Swain, a devout Christian, took her turn at the podium to give her comment for the 60 seconds she—like the 130 other commenters—was allocated. The comments concerned the CARE policy, which addresses “reproductive rights, immigrant residents, gender-diverse individuals and all residents of the City of Ventura from restrictive laws and external enforcement affairs.” Compelled by religious conviction, Tarin Swain used part of her time to pray about the situation. She was immediately met with boos and screaming from the audience. But she continued to pray through the disruptions until the mayor interjected with a warning about prayer. All other commenters were allowed to speak as they pleased, even a bird puppeteer who voiced his comments through squawking. The censorship was reserved solely for Tarin Swain’s prayer.

As the article pointed out, the mayor had chastised Swain by telling her "we don't do prayer" in that setting.  It states:

Tarin Swain has been invited back to re-offer her prayer at an upcoming Ventura City Council meeting after previously experiencing an interruption from the mayor during public comments and admonishment that “we don’t do prayer” at council meetings.

First Liberty relates: "The next city council meeting is scheduled for June 26, 2025. In addition to her time to pray, Tarin will also be given the opportunity to share her comments when the CARE policy is raised for consideration."

The 3 - June 15, 2025

California attempts to stare down Federal government on trans sports

One might think that a male student-athlete from California is on his way to superstardom in track and field.  After all, as The Daily Citizen reports, as of mid-May, AB Hernandez had "led the state" in "...triple and long jump. In regional championships, he won the triple jump by “nearly seven feet,” according to Sports Illustrated, the long jump by more than three feet and the high jump by a foot."

And, as the story, goes, Hernandez "...won state titles in the "...high jump and triple jump at the championship on May 31, 2025. He took second place in the long jump."

But, take a second look, AB Hernandez is a male - you could say "biological male," but as its been pointed out, that is "redundant."  And, he is competing against female athletes.

California has placed itself at odds with Federal policy, according to the Daily Citizen article.  It states:

California planted itself on the Department of Education’s (DOE) radar in February after the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) publicly vowed to defy “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” — an executive order prohibiting boys from playing girls sports in programs that receive federal funding.

The article goes on to say:

CIF didn’t just wreck female competitors’ athletic ambitions by allowing Hernandez to compete — it played fast and loose with the state’s federal education funding.

On May 27, just days before the competition, President Donald Trump weighed in on social media.

“California … continues to illegally allow men to play in women’s sports,” he wrote, citing Hernandez’s qualification for state finals.

It stated:

On May 28, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced it would be joining DOE’s investigation against CIF for violating Title IX.

“My office has found reasonable cause to believe that CIF… is engaging in a pattern or practice of discrimination against female athletes,” Harmeet K. Dhillon, assistant attorney general for the DOJ’s Department of Civil Rights Investigations, wrote in a letter to the organization.

The implications?  The Daily Citizen article says, "If guilty, the state’s federal education funding, which totaled $10 billion in FY 2024, could be on the line."

FBI's investigation of Catholics wider than once thought

You may remember the reports about the discovery that the FBI had launched an investigation against certain Catholics, painting them as threats.  The Washington Times reported recently that the...

FBI concealed the extent of its anti-Catholic operation, which then-FBI Director Christopher A. Wray told Congress was limited to a single 2023 memo, newly revealed bureau documents show.

The FBI ​files were obtained by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley and shared first with The Washington Times.

The files show that the agency was engaging in a bureauwide investigation of “Radical Traditionalist Catholics,” but Mr. Wray and other top FBI officials characterized it as a one-off memo.

In February of 2023, a whistleblower had made public a memo that, according to the article...

...was an alert that “Radical Traditionalist Catholics” adhere to an “anti-Semitic, anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQ and white supremacist ideology” and said these Catholics are prone to “extremist ideological beliefs and violent rhetoric.”

The Times reported that information was spread to other FBI offices beyond the initial release to the Richmond office to Buffalo, Portland, and Milwaukee and may have involved some 1,000 agents!

Texas passes faith-affirming laws

The Texas Legislature has passed bills that could expand the practice of religion in schools throughout the state. First Liberty Institute, at its website, stated recently that the Legislature "...passed SB 10, SB 11, and SB 965, which require the posting of the Ten Commandments in schools and protect the religious liberty rights of teachers and students, bringing state law in line with recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions, including Kennedy v. Bremerton School District."

Matt Krause, Of Counsel for First Liberty, in a statement, said: "...Placing the Ten Commandments and national motto on schoolhouse walls is a great way to remind students of the foundations of American and Texas law. And bringing state law in line with what the U.S. Supreme Court has said about prayer in schools should make it clear to school administrators that student and teacher prayer is completely Constitutional."

Bill sponsor, Sen. Phil King, stated: "For 200 years, the Ten Commandments were displayed in public buildings and classrooms across America," adding, "The Court has … provided a test that considers whether a governmental display of religious content comports with America's history and tradition. Now that the legal landscape has changed, it is time for Texas to pass SB 10 and restore the history and tradition of the Ten Commandments in our state and our nation."

The 3 - June 8, 2025

Not religious enough?  SCOTUS overturns state Supreme Court ruling on religious activity

It was a unanimous decision from the U.S. Supreme Court involving Catholic Charities.  First Liberty reported on its website that the high court "...unanimously reversed a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling that said Catholic Charities was not a religious organization because their ministries and outreach to the poor was not religious enough. First Liberty Institute filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of Catholic Charities."

At issue, according to FoxNews.com, was "...unemployment tax credits for religious institutions." The article said, "...the justices agreed that the state had engaged in an 'unnecessary entanglement' in attempting to define whether religious groups should be entitled to an otherwise-available tax exemption based on the state’s criteria for religious behavior."

Ryan Gardner, Counsel for First Liberty, is quoted as saying on its website: Any attempt by the government to determine which religiously motivated actions are sufficiently religious enough to enjoy either constitutional protection or eligibility for a government benefit like tax exemption is ‘obnoxious to the Constitution...,'" adding, "We applaud the Justices for again affirming unanimously that the First Amendment guarantees the right of all Americans to engage in religious exercise defined by the manner dictated by their sincere religious beliefs rather than the government’s preferences."

Emergency room doctors will not be forced to perform abortions under new policy

Over the past few years, there has been an attempt to essentially turn emergency rooms into abortion clinics under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, or EMTALA.  That issue came into play before the U.S. Supreme Court last year in a challenge to Idaho's strong pro-life law. The Supreme Court, according to the SCOTUS Blog, dismissed the case and sent litigation back to a lower court. 

Fact is, the language of EMTALA is actually pro-life. Alliance Defending Freedom, on one of its websites, reports that in 2022, "the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a memorandum and a letter from then-Secretary Becerra stating that EMTALA grants the administration authority to override state pro-life laws, even though EMTALA does not mention abortion but explicitly protects the “unborn child.”

ADF goes on to say:

Now, the Trump administration’s health department and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has rescinded that mandate and letter and has affirmed the plain words of the statute: EMTALA protects both the “pregnant woman” and the “unborn child.”

The piece on the website notes: "Because the administration’s action now protects mothers, unborn children, and doctors’ conscience rights, Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys filed a voluntary dismissal of the lawsuit they had filed against the Biden administration earlier this year to challenge the mandate."

Administration officials reject declaration of LGBT "Pride Month"

For years, the month of June has been designated as a time to "celebrate" and "affirm" what is termed, "Pride," which is offensive to Christians, who hold to the Biblical belief that homosexuality is not to be celebrated, rather, it is a sinful act from which a person should repent. 

This year, according to The Christian Post, the Trump Administration will apparently not be issuing a proclamation of June as "Pride Month." An article from last week notes:

During a White House press briefing Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt indicated that the Trump administration would not be issuing a presidential proclamation for pride month...

She said, "There are no plans for a proclamation for the month of June," adding, "I can tell you this president is very proud to be a president of all Americans regardless of race, religion or creed."

But, the U.S. Department of Education has announced a declaration for the month of June; the Christian Post article states:

The U.S. Department of Education announced in a statement Monday that it is recognizing June as "Title IX Month" in commemoration of the 53rd anniversary of the enactment of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 into law.

Title IX requires all educational institutions that receive federal funding to ensure equal opportunities for women and girls in education, including when it comes to athletics.

The article goes on to say:

Shortly after taking office in January, Trump issued an executive order directing federal agencies to interpret Title IX rules prohibiting sex discrimination in education as prohibiting males who identify as women from participating in female athletic contests. The administration has also threatened to strip funding from states that permit male trans-identified athletes to compete in female sporting events 

The 3 - June 1, 2025

Prayer service conducted at the Pentagon - Secretary of Defense invites, but does not mandate, employees to attend

Gary Bauer, writing for the James Dobson Family Institute, which presents Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk weeknights at 8:30 on Faith Radio, states:

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth held an overtly Christian prayer service in the Pentagon’s auditorium on May 21, 2025. A pastor spoke at the event, which was voluntary and well attended. Secretary Hegseth said that his plans are to have such events each month. JDFI commends him.

After highlighting several media sources which denounced the event, Bauer wrote this:

The First Amendment prohibits the government from establishing an official religion in America. A prayer service on government property does not establish an official religion. The First Amendment also guarantees the “free exercise of religion.” Hegseth’s prayer service at the Pentagon is a perfect example of this freedom.

Erin Smith, Associate Counsel at First Liberty Institute, issued this statement, published at the organization's website:

Secretary Hegseth’s exercise of his religious faith is protected just like it was for the Navy SEALs we represented against the prior administration when it tried to kick them out for their faith objection to Covid requirements. We commend Secretary Hegseth for standing up for the Constitution and against censorship.

Gary Bauer added: 

This prayer service is well within the historic traditions of the American Republic. Our first president, George Washington, credited God for the birth of our country and victory in our War of Independence. Our Declaration of Independence states explicitly that our Creator—a reference to the God of the Bible—is the author of our liberty. The American Revolution itself was inspired by colonial pastors who roused their congregations to stand for liberty. President Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural address referred directly or indirectly to the Bible a dozen times.

He also noted that President Franklin Roosevelt led the nation in prayer via radio as American troops embarked on the D-Day invasion. Bauer states: "Many of our soldiers carried small Bibles, consisting of the New Testament and the book of Psalms, provided by the Gideons organization with the consent of the US government."  There was a personal note from FDR in the front of those Bibles.

Court rules drag queen show can move forward near children's park

As backlash continues in various sectors of our society to the incredible lack of self-awareness of the gay community, who have been pushing this notion of "pride" upon the public during June, CBN.com reports that:

A U.S. District Judge has issued a preliminary injunction allowing a "grossly inappropriate, and sexually explicit drag show," to be held in view of children at a June 7 "pride" festival, a non-profit legal group reports.

As CBN News reported, Liberty Counsel filed a motion on behalf of three Collier County parents to keep the sexualized LGBTQ performance away from a children's playground.

The article notes:

The lawsuit came after the Naples City Council voted 5-2 in April to move the proposed drag show indoors away from Cambier Park, which is frequented by children, and to restrict the event to adults only. However, Naples Pride, an LGBT advocacy group, and the ACLU sued the city, claiming it violated their First Amendment rights by moving the event.

But, apparently, based on the article, the city of Naples did not offer a particularly strong defense.  A statement from Liberty Counsel was quoted, which said: "The city noted that Cambier Park, which has a children's playground a mere 100 feet away from where Naples Pride wants to hold its drag show, is a limited public forum where permits are subject to reasonable and viewpoint neutral criteria," adding, "While this is true, Liberty Counsel argues this defense leaves out more significant arguments that would require the court to deny the injunction in the interest of protecting children..." The article stated:

They point out that Florida's "Protection of Children Act" of 2023 expressly outlaws public drag shows held in view of minors.

Christian event in Seattle draws protests, ire of mayor

Members of the Christian community in Seattle and the mayor's office are at odds due to a protest at a service event that has been mischaracterized, according to a FoxNews.com article, which reported, about the original event on Saturday, May 24 and a subsequent event at City Hall on Tuesday, the 28th:

Organizers hosted a Mayday USA rally at Cal Anderson Park in Seattle on Saturday, which The Pursuit NW Pastor Russell Johnson helped lead. The event reportedly offered free haircuts, free bike giveaways and free groceries for the community as well as time for prayer and worship.

The event was later "swarmed" by protesters, some of whom reportedly threw urine-filled water balloons at attendees, and more than 20 arrests were made.

The article related:

"[Saturday's] event has, of course, been labeled by the media as some sort of anti-LGBT-type rally, and it wasn't," Johnson said Thursday on "The Ingraham Angle."

"We were swarmed by hundreds of Antifa militants... They were throwing water-balloons filled with urine at Christians who stood in the park and were assaulted for the high crime of worshiping Jesus in a public space," Johnson told Fox News host Laura Ingraham.

FoxNews.com went on to say:

After police reported multiple arrests at Saturday's rally, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell's office released a statement defending the LGBTQ community and protesters while criticizing the "far-right rally" for provoking the violent reaction.

Then the Tuesday skirmish at City Hall occurred - the Fox website said:

In response to the mayor, Johnson helped organize an event at Seattle City Hall on Tuesday, which he said was met with "similar" opposition from protesters.

"Antifa was out in force. They bloodied and beat up good church people who stood in line to try to get into a rally to sing hymns and worship songs and pray for the direction of the city," Johnson said.

The pastor noted that after announcing Tuesday's rally, he was "inundated" with support from people beyond Christian and conservative circles who wanted to "stand with Christians at City Hall because we believe in the First Amendment."

Well, it was announced last week that the FBI has become involved in investigating what has occurred; the article said:

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said Tuesday he had requested an investigation into allegations of "targeted violence" against religious groups after the rally at Seattle City Hall in response to the mayor purportedly blaming Christian activists for igniting a weekend demonstration that turned violent.

The 3 - May 25, 2025

Court rules in favor of lawsuit challenging FCC proposals on increased employment information

Broadcasters across the nation were facing the possibility of having to provide increased information about their employees if a new proposal had gone into effect.  A new ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has greatly reduced that possibility.

National Religious Broadcasters, which brought the challenge, along with one of its members, released the information on its website recently, stating:

...the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the FCC had overstepped its regulatory authority by attempting to force broadcasters to report the race, ethnicity, and gender of each of their employees.

The NRB action was what was called a "petition for review of FCC 24-18, the rule that reinstated the Form 395-B collection and disclosure requirements."  

Troy A. Miller, President & CEO of NRB stated:

“NRB has always fought to protect Christian communicators from baseless attempts to restrict their First Amendment liberties which hinder their work of proclaiming the Gospel. This ruling helps ensure that the government cannot create a backdoor to control broadcasters through public intimidation, misuse private data against them, or interfere with the sacred and constitutionally protected mission of religious broadcasters.”

The article noted: "FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has stated that the FCC will not appeal the decision of the Fifth Circuit. NRB will continue in its legal and political efforts to fight for Christian communicators’ freedom to operate without unlawful government interference."

High court issues tie vote on matter involving a religious charter school

One high-profile case at the U.S. Supreme Court involved a Catholic virtual school that had been approved as a charter school in Oklahoma.  However, the state's attorney general filed court action to block the school in its attempt.  The Daily Signal reports:

In a tied decision, the U.S. Supreme Court Thursday allowed an Oklahoma Supreme Court decision to stand, disqualifying a Catholic charter school from receiving state funding.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself from the ruling, resulting in the 4-4 decision.

The court did not issue an opinion, only stating, “The judgment is affirmed by an equally divided court.”

State attorney general Gentner Drummond "...sued the Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board and its members, seeking to invalidate its contract with St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School."  The state supreme court had sided with the attorney general, and that decision will now be allowed to stand. 

The article notes:

The Trump administration had previously filed a brief supporting the school, arguing that excluding it from the program would violate its free exercise rights.

The administration argued that Oklahoma’s exclusion of St. Isidore violates the free exercise clause of the First Amendment, and that charter schools like St. Isidore do not represent part of the state government.

Federal judge strikes down Equal Employment Opportunity Commission transgender guidelines

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission had been attempting to enact special rules in American workplace, showing favoritism toward transgender employees. The EEOC, which, of course, is under new leadership, posted on its website:

On May 15, 2025, a Texas federal court held the Biden-EEOC’s expansion of the definition of “sex” in its Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace was contrary to law...

The website, under new management, explained:

The EEOC previously issued the Enforcement Guidance on Harassment in the Workplace by a 3-2 vote in 2024. EEOC Acting Chair Andrea Lucas voted against the guidance and issued a dissent after it was approved by the EEOC majority. In particular, Lucas has been vocal in her opposition to portions of EEOC’s harassment guidance that took the enforcement position that harassing conduct under Title VII includes “denial of access to a bathroom or other sex-segregated facility consistent with [an] individual’s gender identity;” and that harassing conduct includes “repeated and intentional use of a name or pronoun inconsistent with [an] individual’s known gender identity.”

It notes:

President Trump directed the EEOC to rescind portions of the guidance that conflicted with the executive order. However, any modification or recission must be approved by a majority vote of the Commission, and as of January 27, 2025, the EEOC lacks a quorum. Acting Chair Lucas has made clear that she remains opposed to those portions of the guidance.

The 3 - May 18, 2025

Pro-life organizations take aim at mifepristone after shocking study on abortion pill

Within the last few weeks, the Ethics and Public Policy Center has released the results of a study that shows, regarding the abortion pill, mifepristone, according to The Washington Stand, "although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) claims that less than half a percent of women experience serious complications, the actual rate of damage done by the drug is significantly higher."

The article relates that over 865,000 mifepristone abortions were studied between 2017 and 2023. The report found that almost 11% of "women who used the abortion drug mifepristone experienced serious complications within 45 days as a result."

The Washington Stand stated:

The EPPC’s report finds that complications arising from mifepristone are at least 22 times more common than the 0.5% of cases touted by the FDA. The new report is, according to EPPC, “the most comprehensive study of chemical abortion safety ever conducted in the U.S.” It relies on data collected from 28 times more mifepristone abortions than the FDA’s research does and, further, is more recent and more accurate to real-world circumstances. The EPPC noted that the FDA relies “entirely on data from more than a decade ago” from “a prescreened group of generally healthy women recruited into various clinical trials conducted at different times around the world.”

As a result of these findings, a consortium of over 50 organizations, led by Family Research Council, have sent a letter to President Trump "detailing the dangers of mifepristone and asking him to support state-level pro-life laws and reconsider the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) approval of mifepristone, or at the very least reinstate safeguards originally enacted when the abortion drug was approved in 2000." That's according to another Washington Stand article. 

Meanwhile, according to the Missourinet website: "The Trump Administration is asking a federal judge to dismiss Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s lawsuit that seeks to restrict access to a popular abortion drug."

The article states: 

A U.S. Justice Department brief says Bailey’s lawsuit was filed in Texas, which is not a plaintiff in the case. It says the suit should have been filed in a federal court in Missouri, Kansas, or Idaho.

According to the U.S. Justice Department, Missouri, Kansas, and Idaho fail to identify imminent harm they personally face regarding the access of mifepristone.

Bailey, in a statement published by the website, cited what appears to be the EPPC study, stating: "Beyond a reasonable doubt, the evidence clearly establishes that mifepristone poses a grave risk to the health of women. The most recent study says 1 in 9 women who ingest this powerful chemical will end up in the ER or worse."

Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley is quoted as saying: “The chemical abortion drug, which is what this case is about, (harms) more than 10% of the women who take it,” adding, “It causes serious medical episodes, hemorrhaging, mass infections, trips to the emergency room. The lawsuit is about, should there be safety regulations around the drug? There should be.” He said that “I don’t think the President has anything to do with it...I think it’s lawyers in the Department of Justice and the Deep State who like Biden’s rules on abortion and want to protect them. And I just think that’s a mistake.”  However, it has been reported that the President has indicated support for future distribution of mifepristone. 

In his questioning of Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. in a congressional hearing last week, according to The Daily Citizen, Hawley referenced the EPPC study.  The article says:

Secretary Kennedy confirmed that he had seen the study and acknowledged the data was “alarming” and that, at the very least, the label should be updated to reflect its true danger to women.

He then explained he has instructed the director of the FDA to do a “complete review” of the chemical abortion pill and report back to him with the findings.

Secretary Kennedy confirmed the review is a top priority, but didn’t have a deadline for when the work will be finished.

Tennessee governor signs bill to prevent use of "gender pronouns"

A major legislative victory in the state of Tennessee involves the use of so-called "gender pronouns," which refer to a student using pronouns that are not consistent with his or her biological sex - in other words, these are falsehoods.  

Recently, Gov. Bill Lee signed legislation that,  according to Alliance Defending Freedom, "prohibits government entities from forcing students, teachers, professors, and other public employees to use inaccurate pronouns in violation of their sincerely held beliefs..."

ADF Senior Counsel Matt Sharp, in a statement, said:

Words and language carry meaning, and when used properly, they communicate truth about the world. Forcing individuals to say things that are false—such as inaccurate pronouns—imposes real harm on the speaker. In no world is it acceptable for the government to discipline students or force good educators or other public servants out of a job all for the sake of promoting gender ideology. With this legislation, Tennessee is rightfully stepping into the gap to protect freedom of speech and conscience.

California school district secures victory in gender notification case

More now from what I call the "genderverse," an uncomfortable, godless place in which men can become women and women can become men, there are more than the two genders that are stated in Scripture, and people are punished for "misgendering," or using a pronoun that does not comport with one's biological sex:

The power of the genderverse, I believe, is being systematically and incrementally broken.  Gov. Lee's signature on the Tennessee bill is one example.  So, is a court ruling recently that temporarily upholds the rights of parents to opt their children out of classes where gender ideology will be taught.  First Liberty Institute states:

The United States District Court for the Southern District of California granted a motion for preliminary injunction requiring the Encinitas (CA) Union School District to provide notification and opt-outs to parents and students when promoting gender ideology in “buddy classes,” a mentoring program coupling older and younger students. First Liberty Institute and the National Center for Law & Policy filed a complaint and motion for preliminary injunction in September 2024.

Nate Kellum, Senior Counsel for First Liberty, is quoted as saying: “No child should be forced to speak a message that violates his religious convictions,” adding, “We are grateful for the court’s decision and will continue to fight to ensure that elementary children are not forced to participate in lessons about gender identity that violate their faith.”

The 3 - May 11, 2025

New pope selected, speculation taking place on direction

Within the space of two days, Robert Prevost, the first American-born pope, became Pope Leo XIV, succeeding Pope Francis, who had passed away not long ago. 

There is certainly a digital footprint that Cardinal Prevost has, and that has raised speculation about whether or not he will become an extension of the term of Pope Francis or chart his own course.

USA Today reported:

Before being elected on May 8 as the leader of the Catholic church, Pope Leo XIV shared social media posts criticizing President Donald Trump's and Vice President JD Vance's stances on immigration.

In three posts, then-Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of Chicago was critical of Vance's take on religion, shared an article critiquing Vance's statements on deportation of migrants and retweeted criticism of Trump and President of El Salvador Nayib Bukele's response to the deportation of El Salvadorian national Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a resident of Maryland.

One post from Feb. 3, 2025, pointed to an article in the National Catholic Reporter titled "JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others."

At The Stream, John Zmirak, who is Catholic, stated: "On the one hand, he seems to genuinely oppose abortion...," embedding a tweet from noted pro-life advocate Frank Pavone. And, Zmirak states, "Leo in the past has expressed conventionally orthodox Christian opinions on the Sexual Revolution...," and embedded a tweet from Breitbart's Alana Mastrangelo.

But, Zmirak also noted that, "The bulk of public commentary that Leo has made in the past leans far to the left, alas, on issues where genuine Catholic teaching is either neutral or actually conservative, as John West...noted..."

Albert Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, writes at WORLD Magazine:

What does this mean for the future of the Roman Catholic Church? The two most basic facts to consider are these: First, Pope Francis appointed the vast majority of the cardinal electors in the room. Second, Prevost had been personally chosen by Pope Francis to direct the process of choosing and appointing bishops around the globe. In other words, there is little chance that the new pope was chosen to do anything but continue the trajectory set by Francis. That is of great concern to conservative Catholics.

Mohler also presented concern about the packaging and optics:

Francis presented himself as a genial grandfather, but behind the scenes he hit conservatives hard, forbidding, for example, the Latin mass. At times Francis appeared downright confused about basic issues of Catholic tradition and teaching. My guess is that Pope Leo XIV will present himself very differently. Conservatives now wonder out loud if Leo will be simultaneously more polished and more effective at the task of liberalizing Catholic doctrine and practice.

But, two commentators for EWTN, the Catholic network based in Birmingham, see Pope Leo as potentially building bridges.  Teresa Tomeo, on Friday's Meeting House on Faith Radio, shared that description from one of her radio show guests and cautioned people from perhaps jumping to conclusions about the direction of this next papacy.  And, Mediaite quoted from a Fox News appearance by Raymond Arroyo, who said this to Will Cain:

Well, hope springs eternal, Will, even in The Eternal City. Here’s what I’d say. It’s a mixed bag. The record is a mixed bag, but there are indications when you saw the pope come out today, ok, he was wearing the traditional mozzetta, that red garment atop his white cassock. That’s kind of a cry back to the past. That’s a wink at tradition. So, a lot of traditionalists and conservative people said, “Oh look, he’s dressing like a pope.”

We frankly haven’t seen this in 12 years with Pope Francis. So, maybe Leo will be as he mentioned in his speech today, a bridge-builder. One hopes, I mean, when you look at his Twitter feed, he was for open borders in the United States and kind of took potshots at JD Vance and the Trump administration.

But look, all popes are going to support migrants, support the poor, support peace. Their heart goes out for humanity. That’s with the job. Jesus would do the same. I don’t know if he’d get so political. And that, they’re gonna have to be careful of.

The record shows concern, but Pope Leo XIV's record as pope is just beginning to be written.  Because of his status as leader of the 1.4 billion-member Roman Catholic Church and his profile in the world as an influential moral and spiritual leader, what he does - and says - potentially impacts all people of faith and is highly significant.  

University agrees to pay psychiatrist fired for his views on gender transition

Allen Josephson once headed the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology at the University of Louisville.  That changed, according to CBN.com, when he spoke at a 2017 event sponsored by the Heritage Foundation.  The article said that (including information from Alliance Defending Freedom):

According to the ADF, a non-profit legal group, Josephson spoke in his personal capacity during a panel discussion about his views on children experiencing gender dysphoria. As a result of his comments, the school "demoted, harassed, and ultimately fired" him for "speaking out on the harms of 'transitioning' children."

The article continued:

In his own words, Josephson said the retribution was swift.

"As a medical professional who cares about my patients, my answer was simple, obvious, and innocuous. We must start by finding out the cause of the child's 'transgender' confusion and resolving any emotional problems before considering more invasive, risky treatments," Josephson explained, writing for the Daily Signal.

"It seemed a reasonable enough response," he continued. "According to the scientific method, every study begins with questions. One of the first is: 'Why?'"

CBN reported: "Josephson said that after 14 years of building a successful program at the school, he was demoted within a matter of weeks after speaking at the Heritage event, ultimately ending his 40-year career." He was quoted as saying, "The university ended my career because I elected not to surf the current wave of social activism..."

ADF filed a lawsuit on Josephson's behalf, and a federal appeals court ruled that the case could proceed. CBN.com stated:

In a lawsuit filed against the school, ADF argued the university violated Josephson's freedom of speech and other constitutionally protected freedoms.

In September of last year, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit ruled that Josephson's case should proceed to trial, declaring public university officials can be held personally accountable for censoring professors or retaliating against them as the University of Louisville was accused of doing in Josephson's case.

ADF announced earlier this week that the school has agreed to settle the case, paying Josephson almost $1.6 million in damages and attorneys' fees.

U.S. Supreme Court declares that Administration can continue to ban transgender people serving in the military

As the SCOTUS Blog website reports, on Inauguration Day this year, "...President Donald Trump...issued" an "order requiring Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to put into effect a ban on 'individuals with gender dysphoria' – the medical term for the psychological distress caused by a conflict between the sex someone is assigned at birth and that person’s gender identity."

The website points out that the Department of Defense, on February 26, "issued that ban, which generally disqualifies anyone who either has gender dysphoria or has undergone medical interventions to treat gender dysphoria from serving in the military. The department explained that 'the medical, surgical, and mental health constraints on individuals who have a current diagnosis or history of, or exhibit symptoms with, gender dysphoria are incompatible with the high mental and physical standards necessary for military service.'"

A group of plaintiffs went to court to stop the ban from taking effect, and a federal district judge ordered the implementation of the ban stopped, and an appeals court agreed with the lower court judge.  The Administration appealed to the high court, which put the lower court order on hold, allowing the ban to continue while the trial is progressing in the 9th Circuit. 

The 3 - May 4, 2025

National Day of Prayer I: Religious Liberty Commission announced

There are several developments for which this year's National Day of Prayer could be remembered.  In addition to gathering at a variety of locations from city halls to county courthouses and a variety of venues, there was a National Day of Prayer event that occurred in the Rose Garden at the White House.

At that event, it was announced that a Religious Liberty Commission would be established. Fox News reported that:

Trump unveiled plans for the new commission during a National Day of Prayer event at the White House and signed it later in the event.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick will serve as the chairman of the commission, Trump said from the White House Rose Garden.

"The last administration attacked people of faith for four years," Patrick said Thursday. "There's a saying that no one should get between a doctor and a patient. I think we would say no one should get between God and a believer. No one should get between God and those seeking him."

The article at the Fox website reported:

The Religious Liberty Commission will compose a report evaluating threats to religious liberty in the U.S., ways to enhance religious freedom and examine the history of American religious liberty, according to a White House fact sheet on the executive order.

The report will address issues including parental rights in religious education, school choice, attacks on religious places of worship, and free speech issues for religious organizations, according to the fact sheet.

Members of the Commission include President, CEO, and Chief Counsel of Christian legal organization Kelly Shackelford.  First Liberty's website also listed other members of the group, including Chairman, Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, Vice-Chairman, former HUD Secretary Ben Carson, and other notables including: Franklin Graham, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Phil McGraw, and others.

National Day of Prayer II: HHS announces report on gender transition attempts, lawsuit against Alabama law dropped

The subject of gender identity and troublesome attempts by some in the medical community to assist minors in changing their "gender" was front and center on Thursday, May 1, the National Day of Prayer.  

Christian Newswire published a press release from the Department of Health and Human Services, which stated:

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health and Office of Population Affairs, released a comprehensive review of the evidence and best practices for promoting the health of children and adolescents with gender dysphoria. This review, informed by an evidence-based medicine approach, reveals serious concerns about medical interventions, such as puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries, that attempt to transition children and adolescents away from their sex.

The press release quoted from National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya, who said: “Our duty is to protect our nation’s children—not expose them to unproven and irreversible medical interventions,” adding, “We must follow the gold standard of science, not activist agendas.”  The HHS press release also related:

Despite increasing pressure to promote these drastic medical interventions for our nation’s youth, the review makes clear: the science and evidence do not support their use, and the risks cannot be ignored.

The website, JustTheNews.com reported:

The Biden administration politicized the science of treatment for youth gender confusion by hiding taxpayer-funded research that found no improvement in mental health for youth on puberty blockers and by bearing down on a standards-setting group to remove age minimums for so-called gender-affirming hormonal and surgical procedures from a draft.

The Trump administration is pushing back on both fronts, rushing a new policy to immediately make public National Institutes of Health-funded research results and releasing a massive review of youth gender medicine that echoes earlier findings from Europe, which has drastically restricted drugs and surgery for gender-confused youth.

The article went on to say:

The moves pleasantly surprised administration critics such as University of California San Francisco HIV researcher Monica Gandhi, who has repeatedly intoned against cuts to health research funding but praised NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya for the "extremely fair and good" transparency policy.

Science writer Jesse Singal, who broke the news that transgender Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Rachel Levine interfered in Standards of Care 8 by the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, said he was shocked the gender medicine review was neither "hackish" nor "authored by cranks."

Rachel Levine is a former HHS assistant director, a biological male named Richard, presenting as a female. Just the News reported that his treachery was discovered by Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall in his defense of an Alabama law preventing the use of surgeries and treatments designed to help young people change their "gender."

The website article noted:

... the plaintiffs in litigation against Alabama's ban on gender-affirming care for minors, which had accidentally exposed Levine's interference, dropped the case Thursday.

Legal discovery showed "key medical organizations misled parents, promoted unproven treatments as settled science, and ignored growing international concern" over the procedures, said the office of state Attorney General Steve Marshall.

"It is no surprise" they quit, Marshall said.

New proposed OK school could become the nation's first religious charter school; SCOTUS hears challenge

Last Wednesday, according to article at the Liberty Counsel website:

...the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. Drummond where the Justices appeared to favor including a faith-based school in Oklahoma’s public charter school program that had been excluded due to being a religious institution. The case considers whether a state may discriminate and exclude a faith-based school from state funding in a public charter school program simply because of its religious affiliation. A second question in the case asks whether a religious private school that partners with the state to offer a free educational option for interested students becomes a “state actor” that treads over the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause by funding religious education.

Liberty Counsel's interest in the case?  The piece on its website noted:

Liberty Counsel filed an amicus brief in the case on behalf of Covenant Journey Academy (CJA) noting that SCOTUS has long recognized that parents bear the primary responsibility for directing their children’s education – a fundamental right that must necessarily include the ability to choose a school that accords with their values and meets their children’s needs.

Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver, heard on Freedom's Call on Faith Radio, is Founder and Chancellor of CJA, which is an online school.  Staver is quoted as saying on the Liberty Counsel website: "...Faith-based, virtual schools offer parents an alternative when government-run schools fail to provide a safe or ideologically neutral environment for the families they claim to serve. The Supreme Court has made clear that when a state attempts to impose an educational model that contradicts the deeply held beliefs of parents, it trespasses on the Constitution."