The 3 - March 30, 2025

Planned Parenthood funding to possibly face reductions

The last few months have yielded some vulnerabilities for the abortion juggernaut, which had seemingly developed a head of steam in promoting abortion, even in the aftermath of the overturning of Roe v. Wade. On Election Day, three states turned back constitutional amendments, backed by the nation's largest abortion provider, that would have allowed abortion throughout a woman's pregnancy.  Furthermore, Planned Parenthood is facing legal action in a state that actually approved one of those abortion amendments.  

Then, pro-life executive orders began to flow from the White House.  There were indications that the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, was looking into the significant amount of taxpayer funding going to abortion...funding that was not needed.  

A CBN.com article published last week documented more trouble on the horizon for Planned Parenthood, stating:

The Trump administration may soon freeze tens of millions of dollars in federal funding for groups providing abortions, including Planned Parenthood. As soon as this week, the Health and Human Services Department could announce a hold on more than $27 million in funds, a spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal.

The department is reviewing grant recipients to make sure they comply with President Trump's executive orders and federal law. This year, the government was set to distribute $120 million in grants to organizations that deal with family planning.

Plus, the article noted that in the coming week, "... the U.S. Supreme Court will consider whether South Carolina can block Planned Parenthood from receiving Medicaid dollars."

Last Wednesday, Liberty Counsel posted this on its website:

...March 27, thousands of pro-lifers will join our Washington-based staff to meet with members of Congress, making the case for defunding Big Abortion.

Next Tuesday, April 1, a pro-life candlelight vigil will take place in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. Satanists will be in front of the Court casting spells, curses, and hexes. And they will try their best to harass and harm the pro-life warriors that come out to pray.

Next Wednesday, April 2, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Medina v. Planned Parenthood of South Atlantic. This case will decide whether states can limit and/or ban Big Abortion from receiving taxpayer funds. Liberty Counsel has submitted a powerful brief in this case.

Kentucky lawmakers vote to return 10 Commandments monument to Capitol grounds

A Ten Commandments monument was donated to the state of Kentucky in 1971 by the Fraternal Order of Eagles and placed on the grounds of the State Capitol, according to First Liberty, which reported that the monument was removed in the 1980's due to a construction project and a court ruling prevented it from returning.  The legal organization's website reported that the state legislature passed a resolution directing the monument to be returned to the Capitol grounds - it has now, as the website notes, "become law."

A Fraternal Order of Eagles chapter in Hopkinsville, KY has kept the monument for in excess of 20 years.  First Liberty elaborates on the conditions for the triumphant return of the 10 Commandments to the State Capitol in Frankfort, saying that...

...Its return was blocked by a court order based on the much maligned Lemon test. That test subsequently was rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court in First Liberty’s 2019 Supreme Court victory in The American Legion, which mandated a presumptive lawfulness for established symbols, displays and practices. Then in 2022 in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, another First Liberty victory at the U.S. Supreme Court, the Court abrogated Lemon entirely and mandated that the Establishment Clause be understood and applied by original meaning, history and tradition. As the Supreme Court has explained, the Ten Commandments “have an undeniable historical meaning,” including “historical significance as one of the foundations of our legal system,” and “[s]uch acknowledgments of the role played by the Ten Commandments in our Nation’s heritage are common throughout America.”

Second federal judge rules against Presidential order against transgender individuals serving in the U.S. Military

As FoxNews.com has pointed out, a second federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from preventing transgender individuals from serving in the military. The Fox article notes that U.S. District Judge Christine O'Hearn issued a 14-day restraining order to prevent the administration from carrying out its order removing two transgender individuals from the service, stating: "The loss of military service under the stigma of a policy that targets gender identity is not merely a loss of employment; it is a profound disruption of personal dignity, medical continuity, and public service..."

The Justice Department condemned the ruling, saying that it has, as "vigorously defended" Executive Orders from the President.  As Fox notes, that would include "the Defending Women Executive order that stipulates there are only two sexes: male and female." A DOJ spokesperson described O'Hearn as an "example of an activist judge attempting to seize power at the expense of the American people..."

The article goes on to say:

O’Hearn’s ruling comes after U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes of Washington, D.C., blocked the Trump administration from implementing its ban on March 19. Reyes said in her opinion that the Trump administration’s order was "soaked in animus" and discriminated based on a person's transgender status.

The 3 - March 23, 2025

MO's Attorney General continues pushback on abortion provider

Not to be deterred by his state's passage of an abortion amendment that was intended to allow abortions in the state throughout a woman's pregnancy, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is looking for ways to save babies' lives and preserve women's safety.

Liberty Counsel reports that Planned Parenthood has resumed surgical abortions in the state, which maintain that it is not doing chemical abortions, which use the abortion pill regimen to terminate life. 

But, Bailey is calling out the nation's largest abortion provider.  Liberty Counsel states:

AG Bailey stated in a press release that the order is due to Planned Parenthood’s “documented history” of “repeated and knowing” violations of state law. He noted the organization has “admitted under oath” to knowingly “refusing to file required complication reports” and that investigations had discovered other violations, such as failing to comply with informed consent laws and to sterilize surgical instruments.

The Christian legal firm notes:

Bailey issued a cease-and-desist order last week to Planned Parenthood formally prohibiting the abortion giant from performing chemical abortions in the state. The order advises the company to implement a “valid” health and safety plan to protect women and treat complications from abortion-inducing drugs, as required by state law. AG Bailey cited Planned Parenthood’s “uncontroverted track record” of disregarding Missouri health and safety laws...

Network featuring faith-based programming claims discrimination by streaming channel

YouTube TV is one of multiple streaming channels offering a variety of channels for subscribers. However, Great American Family is not one of them.  And, the head of the FCC has taken notice.

The Daily Signal relates:

Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, is raising the alarm about evidence suggesting the tech giant—which has a long history of censorship—has unfairly treated a Christian family TV station.

The article says that on March 7, Carr wrote to Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet, the parent company of Google and Neal Mohan, CEO of YouTube, stating, “[I]n the case of YouTube TV, concerns have been raised alleging that your company has a policy (secret or otherwise) that discriminates against faith-based programming..."

Carr went on to say:

“Great American Media states that its Great American Family network is the second fastest-growing channel in cable television,” wrote Carr, “and, while they are carried on a range of cable and streaming services, including Comcast, Cox, Hulu, FuboTV and DirecTV stream, YouTube TV refuses to carry them.”

In a press release, Doug Deason, Chairman of Great American Media is quoted as saying: "Faith-based and family-friendly content should not be marginalized in today’s digital ecosystem,” adding, “We are grateful for Commissioner Carr’s commitment to ensuring that all voices—including those that reflect faith values—receive fair treatment on major streaming platforms.”  Great American Media CEO Bill Abbott, formerly of the Hallmark Channel, states: "Great American Family is one of the fastest-growing channels in television, and audiences deserve the ability to access our content wherever they choose to watch...After years of petitioning YouTube TV for consideration, it is encouraging to see action being taken to address these concerns. We appreciate the FCC’s focus and its efforts to hold platforms accountable for potential viewpoint discrimination."

But, as Deadline reported, regarding the FCC's oversight of Multichannel Video Programming Distributors: "Carr acknowledged the limitations on the FCC’s authority over virtual MVPDs compared to cable distributors, as program carriage rules apply to traditional television. The FCC has had multiple open proceedings to expand the regulatory framework to virtual MVPDs like YouTube TV, Carr noted."

The website elaborated:

In his letter, Carr put the Great American Family carriage in the same context as his criticism of tech giants over their content moderation policies. Carr has long claimed social media platforms have engaged in discrimination against conservative voices. He has talked about reforming a key law, Section 230 of the Communications Act, that has immunized platforms from lawsuits over third-party content.

Christian leaders band together on behalf of hostages in former Soviet republic

It has been a difficult season for Armenian Christians in the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan, and a consortium of Christian leaders has sent a letter to President Trump on behalf of 24 hostages being held there.  Crosswalk Headlines reported:

A coalition of Christian leaders recently signed a letter to President Donald Trump to take action on behalf of 23 Christian Armenians and one Azeri Christian convert currently detained in Azerbaijan.

The catalyst of the letter was an organization called Save Armenia.  The Crosswalk article said that signatories included:

...former United States Ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback, Christian artist and missionary Sean Feucht, National Religious Broadcasters President and CEO Troy Miller, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Commissioner David Curry, Save the Persecuted Christians Executive Director Dede Laugesen and civil rights activist Alveda King.

The article went on to say, "The letter was also signed by former Rep. Michelle Bachman... who now serves as the dean of the Robertson School of Government at Regent University, and Jim Garlow, former pastor of Skyline Church in California, The Christian Post reported."

The letter said, in part:

"Almost two years ago, Azerbaijan ethnically cleansed more than 120,000 Christian Armenians out of their ancestral homes, while the Biden administration refused to take action to stop the ethnic cleansing or punish the perpetrators of that crime," the leaders explained.

"Since then, the same regime has been holding 23 Christian Armenian hostages and one Azeri Christian convert, who are being subjected to routine torture, according to credible reports. The International Committee of the Red Cross, the only organization with access to check on the well-being of the prisoners, was ordered to leave the country in recent days."

The 3 - March 16, 2025

Trump administration switches side in emergency room abortion case

Just as in the case out of Tennessee, where gender-change treatments and surgeries have been banned under a state law, a case that has now been heard by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Trump administration has switched sides in a case out of Idaho, in which the previous administration had filed a lawsuit attempting to force emergency room doctors to perform abortions, challenging a pro-life state law.

That is according to The Daily Signal, which reported: "The Biden administration...sued Idaho to prevent it from applying its abortion ban to emergency rooms. In August 2022, a U.S. District Court judge issued an injunction against Idaho. More than a year later, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit affirmed that injunction and Idaho subsequently appealed to the Supreme Court."  The article went on to say:

The Supreme Court stayed the injunction in January 2024 and positioned the case as an actual appeal on the merits of the underlying Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act issue rather than just a request for a temporary procedural hold. The court directed that arguments in the case occur in April 2024 but, after that deadline came and went, the court dismissed the appeal as “improvidently granted.” In this case, that’s a fancy term for jumping the gun.

The article related:

So the case is now back in Idaho, this time amid speculation that the incoming Trump administration would no longer insist that the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act overrides state pro-life laws. St. Luke’s Health System, a Boise nonprofit that operates medical centers and pharmacies, asked a U.S. District Court judge for another injunction against Idaho enforcing its pro-life law in emergency rooms. The judge agreed.

As expected, the Trump administration decided to no longer try to force Idaho to allow emergency room abortions and, joined by the state of Idaho, asked that the case be dismissed on March 5, 2025. The previous day, however, St. Luke’s obtained a temporary restraining order keeping the case in place for now.

State school superintendent's efforts in OK to provide Bibles halted by state's highest court

Ryan Walters is the state school superintendent in Oklahoma.  He wants to make thousands of Bibles available to students in the state.  The Washington Times noted last week:

The Oklahoma Supreme Court has temporarily blocked an attempt by the state’s schools superintendent to purchase Bibles to be placed in public classrooms.

The state’s highest court issued an order Monday that blocks Superintendent Ryan Walters from using taxpayer dollars to purchase Bibles and Bible-related material for public schools.

He had planned to buy more than 50,000 Bibles to incorporate into fifth- through 12th-grade classes.

The article stated:

Nearly three dozen families, teachers and religious leaders have challenged the moves to incorporate the Bible and Bible-related material into the school curriculum; on Monday, the state’s highest court agreed. 

The court issued a stay, pausing any new purchase requests by Mr. Walters.

Good News spreading: hundreds of thousands hear message in Ethiopia

And, a story of God at work has emerged out of the nation of Ethiopia.  CBN News reported recently:

Evangelist Franklin Graham preached the powerful message of the gospel to more than 400,000 people over the weekend in a massive public square that was once infamous for its Communist rallies.

Hundreds of thousands of people worshipped Jesus at Meskel Square for the "Encountering God Ethiopia" outreach.

It was a major turnout of 437,000 people hungry to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ for the two day-event.

 The article went on to say:

On the first night, 117,000 people attended and on the second night 320,000 were in attendance.

"The square was so full, thousands of people spilled into the nearby streets to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ," reads a BGEA press release.

The ministry reports that 4,000 people made decisions for Christ and many of these new believers will be discipled by local churches to help them grow in their walk with the Lord, BGEA reports.

The Association quoted from Dereje Jemberu, general secretary of the Ethiopian Council of Gospel Believers Churches, who said: "I have no words to express my heart. My eyes were full of tears to see so many people respond to the good news that was preached. This is what we wanted—we have been praying many years for a moment such as this," adding, "I thank God for what He is doing in Ethiopia and what He has done this weekend. This has helped encourage and motivate evangelical churches to continue to work together to understand one another and to organize activities to reach as many people as possible with the hope of Jesus Christ..."

The 3 - March 9, 2025

Bill to keep males out of women's sports fails in U.S. Senate, another state passes legislation to do that

With more and more states passing legislation to prevent males from participating in female sports, an executive order issued to prevent the practice, and House passage of a piece of legislation to make that permanent, there has certainly been momentum to ban this practice.

But, the momentum ran into a roadblock in the U.S. Senate last week.  FoxNews.com reported that the a bill in the U.S. Senate " prevent boys from participating in girls' sports failed to overcome the legislative filibuster on Monday night after it did not reach the necessary 60-vote threshold to advance." The final procedural vote was 51-45.  

The article stated:

The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act would require Title IX to treat gender as "recognized based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth," and would disallow any adjustment for it to apply to gender identity.

The White House issued a statement in support of the legislation, saying: "This bill also recognizes that ‘sex,’ as used in the statutory scheme, is based solely on reproductive biology and genetics...Men participating in women’s sports not only is demeaning and dangerous to women and girls, but it erodes the integrity of our Nation’s civil rights laws. Congress’s affirmative vote on this bill would complement both federal court rulings and President Trump’s February 5, 2025, Executive Order, ‘Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports.'"

Meanwhile, according to Alliance Defending Freedom, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon signed a bill "that protects women and girls by prohibiting men from entering into women’s spaces—such as changing rooms, sleeping quarters, and restrooms—and requiring colleges, public buildings, and correctional facilities to safeguard women’s safety and privacy in these spaces..."

Another U.K. citizen arrested for silent protest outside abortion clinic

There have been several incidents that have received attention out of the United Kingdom of people being arrested for standing silently in front of abortion clinics.  Scotland just passed a law to that effect, and the Standing for Freedom Center at Liberty University reported: "A 74-year-old woman was arrested...in Glasgow, Scotland, for allegedly breaching an exclusion zone around an abortion clinic." The article goes on to say:

This marks the first enforcement of Scotland’s recently enacted Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act 2024, which prohibits anti-abortion protests within 200 meters of medical facilities providing abortion services.

Rose Docherty, a grandmother and retiree, stood in silence on a sidewalk with a sign that read, “Coercion is a crime, here to talk, only if you want.”

The article notes:

In recent years, England has also arrested pro-lifers for praying near abortion clinics in violation of censorship laws. British Army veteran Adam Smith-Connor was convicted in October 2024 for silently praying near an abortion clinic in Bournemouth, England.  

It also pointed out that "Isabel Vaughan-Spruce is another pro-lifer who has been arrested multiple times for silently praying within these zones. In October 2023, she was fined for her silent prayer, even after previous charges had been dropped or resulted in acquittal."

The Center relates that the new Scottish law "even applies to those who 'can be seen or heard' praying or discussing their pro-life beliefs inside of private homes located within the buffer zones." 200 meters is the equivalent of 650 feet - that's over two football fields (not counting the end zones).

Collegiate Day of Prayer calls on students to follow Jesus, churches to adopt campuses

The annual Collegiate Day of Prayer occurred on Thursday, February 27, and CBN.com reported that "Christians around the globe united...in a movement of prayer to see revival spread across college campuses and universities." It noted that over 6000 campuses "were adopted in prayer" by over 3200 "churches, ministries, and individuals."

The article went on to say: 

Organizers report that the 2,500-seat Rudder Auditorium at Texas A&M was sold out as students came to seek God for revival on their campuses.

The CBN article also noted:

According to Intervarsity, an evangelical Christian student movement with affiliate groups on university campuses, decisions for Christ rose by 33 percent last year. The Fellowship of Christian Athletes reports its highest number of salvations since the pandemic, and the international ministry, Cru, recently surpassed the one million mark in commitments to faith globally.

"It really has been such an incredible season to ministry to college campuses since Asbury," Thai Lam, Executive Director of the CDOP, told CBN's Faith Nation.

Lam is quoted as saying: "We are convinced that what we are doing in engaging the next generation, specifically 18-to-22-year-olds on college campuses, is so significant," adding, "As God is moving and marking these young adults who are being formed spiritually. Their worldview is being shaped and they are being launched into the trajectory of their lives [and] we believe that as these students are being marked by Jesus for the next 30, 40, 50 years, who they become and what they do will shape the trajectory of America."

The 3 - March 2, 2025

President's first Cabinet meeting opens with prayer

Last week, President Trump held the first meeting of his new Cabinet, and it was opened with a prayer offered by the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Scott Turner, according to a report on the CBN website.  The report quoted the secretary, who said:

"Father the Bible says that blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, Father today we honor You in Your rightful place and thank You for giving us this opportunity to restore faith in this country and be a blessing to the people of America, and we pray in our meeting that You would be glorified in our conversation. In Jesus name, Amen..."

The article mentioned what appears to be a greater spiritual awareness in the President's life as the result of an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania last summer.  The article stated:

"None of us knows exactly when our time on earth will be over," Trump told those gathered at the National Prayer Breakfast. "You never know — a truth I confronted a few short months ago when there was an incident that … was not fun."

The president has frequently said he believes the Lord saved him that day. "God was watching me," Trump said.

“It changed something in me,” he said. “I feel even stronger. I believed in God, but I feel much more strongly about it. Something happened.”

The Christian Post reported that Turner "serves as an associate pastor at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas."  The article related:

Turner later tweeted a video of his invocation, writing, "Giving the opening prayer at President Trump's first cabinet meeting was the honor of a lifetime."

Turner was confirmed as HUD secretary earlier this month after previously having served as executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council in the first Trump administration.

Turner, who played defensive back in the NFL for eight seasons, told the audience at the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, last week that he believes God is calling him to make a "generational impact."

Judge allows Christian school to participate in government funding program

Just because a Christian school holds to Christian principles does not disqualify it from government-sponsored programs that other schools can take part in.  That's a premise that has been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.  But, Colorado school officials attempted to bar a Christian school from participation in such a program.  And, as The Christian Post reported, a judge ruled their actions to be unconstitutional. The article said that, "U.S. District Judge Daniel Domenico...ruled...that Darren Patterson Christian Academy can participate in Colorado's Universal Preschool Program."  It went on to say:

The academy had previously been denied an exemption to the program's antidiscrimination provision due to its refusal to hire non-Christians and its expectation that both staff and students adhere to traditional standards of sexual ethics and gender identity.

The article went on to say:

State officials lack a "compelling interest" to deny DPCA an exemption to its antidiscrimination provision over the school's "sincere religious beliefs," Domenico concluded.

The article noted that the school is represented by Alliance Defending Freedom, and...

ADF Senior Counsel Jeremiah Galus said in a statement on Tuesday that state officials "can't force religious schools to abandon their beliefs" in order "to participate in a public benefit program that everyone else can access."

"The U.S. Supreme Court has reaffirmed this constitutional principle multiple times, and the district court has now fully followed up on its previous decision to safeguard this right for religious schools in Colorado," stated Galus.

High court refuses to re-think previous ruling on "buffer zones" around abortion clinics

The U.S. Supreme Court, meanwhile, declined to hear two cases involving so-called "buffer zones" around abortion clinics. USA Today reported:

The court declined to hear challenges to a law in southern Illinois and to a 2014 ordinance in Englewood, New Jersey, that created a protest-free buffer zone around certain health care facilities.

Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito said they would have taken the cases.

The article noted that pro-life groups and some state attorneys general had hoped the Court would use these cases to overturn the ruling in Hill v. Colorado, which, according to the article, "upheld protest restrictions around abortion clinics."

USA Today said: 

In his dissent Monday, Thomas said Hill “has been seriously undermined, if not completely eroded, and our refusal to provide clarity is an abdication of our judicial duty.”

Thomas also said he would have used the Illinois case to explicitly overrule Hill.

In that case, according to Worthy News, "officials prohibited protesters from getting within 8 feet (2.5 meters) of patients at an abortion clinic without consent."  That article notes Thomas was on the court with Hill was decided and dissented from the majority opinion.  The article goes on to say:

The justice said the Hill case “manipulated this Court’s First Amendment jurisprudence precisely to disfavor ‘opponents of abortion’ and their ‘right to persuade women contemplating abortion that what they are doing is wrong.'”

He suggested the Supreme Court revisit Hill to give clarity to lower courts “who feel bound by it,” particularly after Roe v. Wade enabling nationwide abortion was overturned in 2022.