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the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) approval of mifepristone, or at the very least reinstate safeguards originally enacted when the abortion drug was approved in 2000."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."