The 3 - February 19, 2023

In this week's edition of The 3, with three stories of relevance to the Christian community, there is news out of yet another U.S. state preventing surgeries and treatments that claim to help a minor child change his or her sex.  Also, in Oklahoma, transgender activists protested inside the State Capitol there against legislation in that state that has similar goals.  And, the FCA in a school district in California has temporarily been banned from that district pending a hearing before a federal appeals court. 

Another state takes a step to protect children from gender malpractice

One by one, states across America are seeing the light regarding the harm to minor children that is being perpetrated in the name of so-called "gender-affirming care," which actually is just the opposite. Manipulative treatments, mutilation of bodies, and more are being exposed now - and the governor of another state has signed a bill into law that is designed to provide protection. 

Liberty Counsel reports this on its website:

...South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem signed a bill into law that bans harmful and experimental puberty blockers and mutilating irreversible surgeries for children and teens who struggle with gender confusion.

Gov. Noem signed HB 1080, also known as the “Help Not Harm” bill, after the state legislature overwhelmingly passed it 30-4.

South Dakota is now the seventh state to enact legislation to protect children from these procedures, joining Utah, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Texas.

The article goes on to say: 

According to the new law, “a healthcare professional may not, for the purpose of attempting to alter the appearance of, or to validate a minor's perception of, the minor’s sex, if that appearance or perception is inconsistent with the minor's sex.”

This would included puberty blockers, hormone treatments, and surgeries.  

OK trans activists invade State Capitol building

But there are some who are supportive of transgenderism who will not take "no" for an answer.  We have seen that there are those in the LGBTQ+ movement that do not allow for an alternative view on sexuality and are willing to punish Christians and other people of faith for opposing homosexuality and transgenderism.

Some of them were on display recently in Oklahoma, as the New York Post reported earlier this month: "Transgender rights activists occupied the Oklahoma state Capitol’s rotunda...to protest a push...to limit so-called gender-affirming care in the state."

The article reported that, according to the Oklahoma Daily, some 150 people, chanting and holding signs and banners, entered the rotunda to protest these bills.  The article says:

One of the new proposals, Senate Bill 129, would ban health care professionals in the Sooner State from referring anyone under 26 for gender-affirming care, including both surgical and non-surgical interventions.

The second bill, Senate Bill 252, aims to prevent anyone under 18 from undergoing a sex change operation.

The Post article said, referring to Gov. Kevin Stitt: "In his State of the State address...Stitt called for a statewide ban on gender affirmation surgeries and other treatments for minors, the Oklahoma Daily said.

One protestor said: "Lawmakers fear the trans community as if trans people are coming for their kids, but in reality, trans people just want to live and mind their business..."  But, we see in instance after instance that there is a significant effort to do force the trans agenda on children, and those that protested inside the Capitol building were certainly not minding their business. 

Ruling in favor of FCA under court scrutiny

At Faith Radio, we are so appreciative of the ministry of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, that provides young people with Christian teaching and fellowship, and provides an avenue for students to come to Christ. WORLD Magazine reported recently on a court case, in which FCA was sued and received a positive ruling, that is now in danger of being reversed.

The article notes that the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals had ruled that, "the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at San Jose’s Pioneer High School had a right to follow its statement of Biblical beliefs about marriage and sexuality."  But, recently, the 9th Circuit had set that ruling aside, meaning that, as WORLD puts it, "For the time being, the school district may ban the group unless it opens its leadership to students who do not adhere to its statement of faith."

Article writer Steve West says: 

Even though the appeals court directed the school to recognize FCA and allow students to meet, the controversy did not end, Becket counsel Daniel Blomberg told me. School officials complied, approved FCA’s request for official recognition but then refused to recognize any other student clubs throughout the district. Rather than meet and be subject to harassment by other students and some teachers, FCA students decided to meet privately for prayer.

The article goes on to say:

At this point, there is nothing to prevent the school district from ejecting FCA from campus once again, said Blomberg. “The students are no longer protected from the same school district that has been attacking them for years,” he said. Becket attorneys are evaluating whether to seek protection from the appeals court while the case is reconsidered.

The full 11-member appeals court will be hearing the case on March 20 in California. 

The 3 - February 12, 2023

This week's edition of The 3, with three stories of relevance to the Christian community, includes some background on what is being termed a "revival" at a Kentucky university that went non-stop after a chapel meeting last Wednesday.  Also, a Jacksonville church is calling on members to affirm the Biblical viewpoint of sexuality and the sanctity of marriage.  And, a former Georgia police officer who affirmed the Biblical definition of marriage on his personal Facebook page has resigned after receiving opposition.

Asbury students gather non-stop for revival meetings

For some on the campus of Asbury University in Wilmore, KY, it may have seemed to be a normal Wednesday morning.  But, when God shows up - in His own way, according to His timing, He begins to do what He does - loving people and changing lives.  MinistryWatch reported:

On the morning of February 8, a seemingly normal chapel service took place at the campus’s Hughes Auditorium. It included a message about confession and repentance, according to reports. After the service was over, a group of students stayed behind to continue worshiping. Then more joined them.

The article quoted from Asbury Theological Seminary Vice President of Formation Matt Barnes, who stated this on Facebook: “God began pouring out his love among the students in a profound way. The students continued praying and worshiping even though chapel had concluded..." The MinistryWatch article said:

Asbury December graduate Elle Hooper told the Asbury Collegian, “I am one of many who have been praying for this since my freshman year. To be here and witness to this is life-giving.”

The Christian Post reported on what God has been doing on the campus; its report included comments from Alexandra Presta, the Executive Editor of the Collegian; it stated:

“I had left for a few minutes but then felt called to return. Since then, it hasn't stopped. It's been a mix of worship, testimony, prayer, confession, silence,” she explained, calling it “a full experience of the Holy Spirit.”

Presta estimated that as many as 1,000 people have come to the revival gathering since it started, noting that while “some have come and gone,” there are others who “have slept on the floor and continued to praise God nonstop.”

Jacksonville church issues statement on Biblical sexuality, requires members to affirm

The Church should be bold to declare what we believe; there should be no ambiguity regarding salvation, sin, holiness, and other areas where the Bible speaks clearly.

The Blaze website reported on a church in Jacksonville, FL where members, in order to retain membership, are being required to affirm their view on sexuality from a Biblical viewpoint.  The article said:

Last October, leaders of First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida, developed a statement that recognizes exclusively traditional Christian beliefs regarding marriage and sexuality.

"As a member of First Baptist Church, I believe that God creates people in his image as either male or female, and that this creation is a fixed matter of human biology, not individual choice," the first half of the statement reads.

"I believe marriage is instituted by God, not government, is between one man and one woman, and is the only context for sexual desire and expression," the statement concludes, citing passages from Genesis, Matthew, Corinthians, and Romans to support that teaching.

The Senior Pastor of the church is Heath Lambert, who conducted a Q&A session about the statement.  The article reported:

Lambert and others hosted a question-and-answer session to address concerns regarding the statement. One woman who attended the meeting with "her partner" claimed that the statement erases the "existence" of "LGBTQ+ people."

But, the pastor rightly believes that sharing about God's standards is the loving thing to do, stating: "It is the ultimate demonstration of hatefulness for Christians to know about sin, to know that sin will separate sinners from God forever, and yet refuse to call sinners to repentance," adding, "On the other hand, it is the love of Christ to point out sin and call people to faith in Jesus."

Police officer in GA resigns after backlash against post on marriage

Jacob Kersey was a new police officer in the city of Port Wentworth, GA, outside of Savannah, according to an article at The Daily Signal, but he ran into trouble when he posted 20 words affirming the Biblical view of marriage on his personal Facebook page.  The article stated:

Kersey’s supervisor asked him to remove the post after someone complained.

When the young officer refused, he was placed on paid administrative leave. Kersey was ultimately given a choice by his command staff: Either agree not to post views that could be seen as controversial or face losing his job. Ultimately, Kersey made the choice to resign, explaining that he refuses to abandon his religious convictions.

In a Daily Signal podcast transcribed on the website, Kersey said:

"...I knew immediately that there’s no way that I could back down. Especially after standing up and encouraging people, saying, “Hey, stand up for what you believe. Don’t be silenced. Don’t let cancel culture cancel you. Share your story.” And I’ve been saying that for years.

And then when it happened to me, at first I was like, “I don’t know if I want to do this or not. There’s going to be a lot of naysayers.” But at the end of the day, I knew what I had to do. And I believe part of that was the Holy Spirit coming in and in the moment letting me know, “Hey, you have to do this.” 

The 3 - January 29, 2023

This week's edition of The 3, with three stories of relevance to the Christian community, includes news out of the United Kingdom, where the Church of England is considering a more tolerant stance of same-sex marriage while not allowing it under church law. Also, two people have been arrested in pro-abortion violence against three pregnancy resource centers in Florida.  And, a Colorado baker who won a U.S. Supreme Court victory has been back in court and has lost in two state courts as a result of declining to decorate cakes that send a message  that violate his beliefs.

Church of England proposal allows blessing gay marriage by not performing it

The Church of England, regrettably, has been debating its position on so-called "same-sex marriage," and recent proposals indicating that the door is opening for a full endorsement of the practice.

Premier Christian News noted:

The draft proposals - announced by the House of Bishops earlier this month – suggest a set of prayers that would bless same-sex couples instead of legalising marriage.

The plans are the result of a six-year period of internal debate on whether to allow same-sex marriage in the church.

But given divisions among the bishops themselves, the proposals are being described as “the best we can do” in the current context of the Church.

CEO of the UK's Evangelical Alliance, Gavin Calver, doesn't seem to agree that this is a "best" course of action, saying that these recommendations are a "clear step away from the church's historical position." The article says:

He told Premier: “That step away also probably suggests further steps away into the future. So it's not just about the Holy matrimony, it's also about choosing to bless things that perhaps haven't previously been blessed by the church.”

“And it's also about the place of sexual activity in faithful relationships. And so it's deeply concerning and problematic on a number of levels.”

These "blessings" are being referred to as the "Prayers of Love and Faith." The article relates: "Once debated and refined in General Synod, the Prayers of Love and Faith will be made available to all priests in the Church of England."

Two arrests made in violence against pro-life pregnancy centers

Nearly nine months after the Dobbs opinion leak on May 2, 2022, which triggered a wave of pro-abortion violence, the DOJ finally announced the first two grand jury indictments against Caleb Freestone and Amber Smith-Stewart." That's the wording in a report on The Washington Stand website, which states, "The indictment alleges that these individuals 'targeted pregnancy resource facilities and vandalized those facilities with spray-painted threats.'”

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins is quoted as saying, "This, frankly, is good to see if it is an indication that the Justice Department will start upholding the law in a fair, non-biased way...”  The Washington Stand article notes about the three facilities that were vandalized:

These attacks are among more than 100 incidents of pro-abortion violence targeting churches and pregnancy resource centers that TWS has catalogued since the Dobbs opinion was leaked. All three attacks were against Catholic-affiliated pregnancy resource centers where the vandals were captured on security tape — but not by police.

The indictment charges Freestone and Smith-Stewart with violating the FACE (Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances) Act by threatening employees and intentionally damaging property. If convicted, they face “a maximum of 12 years in prison, three years of supervised release and fines of up to $350,000.” The FACE Act was passed to protect abortion centers, but it protects pro-life pregnancy centers and churches too.

But as the website's headline suggests, this could be a case of "too little, too late."  The article goes on to say:

The DOJ’s lack of action on PRC investigations has opened it up to criticism of implementing a two-tiered system of justice. “The Biden administration was slow to respond to the many attacks on these centers despite pressure from pro-life members of Congress and outside advocacy groups,” said Perkins. These indictments came only “after months of dragging their feet on responding to the attacks on pregnancy resource centers.”

Meanwhile, there has been an increase of pro-lifers who were targeted for FACE act violations during 2022. 

Colorado baker back in court, loses again in state proceeding

Colorado cake baker Jack Phillips, who was victorious, to a certain extent, in the U.S. Supreme Court case bearing his shop's name, the Masterpiece Cakeshop case, has continued to face court action since the day the high court announced it would hear the case, in which it eventually upheld his right to decline to provide a cake to celebrate a same-sex wedding ceremony.

That's according to the website of the Alliance Defending Freedom, which reported that on that day...

...an activist attorney called Masterpiece Cakeshop requesting that Phillips create a custom-designed cake, pink on the inside and blue on the outside, that would symbolize and celebrate a gender transition. The attorney then called back—requesting another custom cake depicting Satan smoking marijuana to “correct the errors of [Phillips’] thinking.” Phillips declined to create both custom cakes because they expressed messages that violate his core beliefs. The activist then filed this lawsuit. Phillips works with all people and always decides whether to take a project based on what message a cake will express, not who is requesting it.

The Colorado Court of Appeals last week ruled against Jack Phillips in the case. ADF stated: "Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys representing Phillips and Masterpiece Cakeshop had asked the Colorado Court of Appeals to uphold his First Amendment rights after a trial court issued a ruling that punished Phillips for declining to design a custom cake celebrating a gender transition."

ADF Senior Counsel Jake Warner is quoted as saying:

"...This cruelty must stop. One need not agree with Jack’s views to agree that all Americans should be free to say what they believe, even if the government disagrees with those beliefs. The same law being used to punish Jack is also at issue now at the U.S. Supreme Court in 303 Creative v. Elenis. The court there should reject Colorado’s attempt to mandate orthodoxy and drive views it disfavors from the public square and affirm that graphic artist Lorie Smith and all artists—writers, painters, photographers, filmmakers, calligraphers, cake artists, and more—have the right to create freely without fear of government punishment. Cultural winds may shift, but freedom of speech is foundational to our self-government and to the free and fearless pursuit of truth.”

The 3 - January 22, 2023

This week's edition of The 3, including three stories of relevance to the Christian community, including news out of two states where, moving forward, biological males will be prevented from competing against females in girls' sports.  Also, an NHL player has taken a strong stand based on his faith against a deviant view of sexuality.  And, Florida pharmacies have been put on notice against selling the abortion bill in light of the FDA's decision to widen distribution of chemical abortion.

Boys prevented from competing in girls' sports in two more states 

Since the beginning of 2023, the list of states preventing boys from participating in girls' sports has grown by two.

Alliance Defending Freedom reported that, "Female athletes in Indiana scored a victory...when the ACLU withdrew its lawsuit challenging a state law that protects athletic opportunities for girls." ADF Legal Counsel Rachel Csutoros stated in response: “Indiana joins a growing coalition of states that has enacted laws to preserve fair competition for female athletes. We’re pleased to favorably close this case to the benefit of the brave female athletes we represent who are speaking out to protect the future of women’s sports.”

This comes on the heels of a court ruling several weeks ago upholding a West Virginia law that bans biological males from competing in girls' sports. ADF states, "On Jan. 5, a West Virginia federal court upheld the state’s Save Women’s Sports Act, rejecting a legal challenge that would have undermined women’s sports in the state by allowing males who identify as female to compete with females in girls’ and women’s sports."

Professional hockey player puts "pride" celebration on ice

Ivan Provorov is a defenseman for the Philadelphia Flyers - and a defender of the Christian faith and a Biblical view of sexuality.  So, chose not to participate in a pre-game acknowledgement and did not wear a "pride" jersey celebrating the LGBTQ+ lifestyle at a recent special promotion sanctioned by the Flyers.

The Washington Stand quoted from the Russian player: “I respect everybody, and I respect everybody’s choices...My choice is to stay true to myself and my religion. That’s all I’m going to say.” Fortunately, his coach respected his choice as well, with Flyers coach John Tortorella saying, “It was really a great night. With Provy, he is being true to himself and to his religion. This has to do with his beliefs and his religion. That is one thing I respect about Provy, he is always true to himself, so that’s where we’re at with that.”  As for the League's position, ESPN.com reported: 

The NHL said that clubs "decide whom to celebrate, when and how" and that players "are free to decide which initiatives to support, and we continue to encourage their voices and perspectives on social and cultural issues."

Good for them, sort of.  The Washington Stand article said...

...in its rush to embrace transgenderism, the NHL held an All-Trans Draft Tournament in Wisconsin in December, bragging, “This was the first tournament comprised entirely of transgender and nonbinary players, with around 80 folks participating!”

And, the article notes that, "Florida Governor Ron DeSantis...was especially outraged by one of the NHL’s job postings in Fort Lauderdale, where only people who 'identify as female, Black, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, and/or a person with a disability' were invited to apply." The governor's office issued a statement saying: “Discrimination of any sort is not welcome in the state of Florida...and we do not abide by the woke notion that discrimination should be overlooked if applied in a politically popular manner or against a politically unpopular demographic. We are fighting all discrimination in our schools and our workplaces, and we will fight it in publicly accessible places of meeting or activity.” The NHL has two teams in Florida.

Florida pharmacies warned not to sell abortion pill

The federal Food and Drug Administration has announced its attempt to widen the distribution of chemical abortion, which not only takes the life of an unborn child, but studies show it presents a threat to women's health.  The news has spread that pharmacies will be offering the abortion pill for sale with a prescription, but officials in Florida are warning drugstores statewide to refrain from participating.

That's according to an article at The Christian Post, which says that: "The Florida Agency for Health Care Administration released a statement...stating that Florida law continues to prevent women from obtaining mifepristone at pharmacies. The agency cited two Florida statutes that it says prohibits the abortion pill at pharmacies."

The article notes that:

One statute declares that “[n]o termination of pregnancy shall be performed at any time except by a [licensed] physician." The other proclaims, “[i]t is unlawful for any person to perform or assist in performing an abortion on a person, except in an emergency care situation, other than in a validly licensed hospital or abortion clinic or in a physician’s office.”

The 3 - January 15, 2023

This week's edition of The 3, highlighting three stories of relevance to the Christian community, includes pro-life action in the U.S. House of Representatives. Also, a former postal employee who asked not to work on Sundays is having his case heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.  And, a federal court has ruled against a consortium of LGBTQ students who contested the rights of religious schools to operate by Biblical principles. 

U.S. House passes multiple pro-life bills

The U.S. House of Representatives, following the election of the new Speaker of the House, immediately went to work.  One of the initial bills was the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which, according to The Washington Stand, "requires that if a baby is born alive during a botched abortion, the abortionist must provide the same level of lifesaving care a doctor would provide to any child of comparable age, or face up to five years in prison for letting the baby die. The surviving child must immediately be transported to a hospital, and abortion facility employees must report any violation of these medical standards. The bill also empowers grieving mothers to sue abortionists for their inaction."

The House also passed a resolution condemning acts of violence directed at pro-life pregnancy resource centers and churches. The Washington Stand reported that the legislation stated, "Following the leak of the draft Dobbs decision, radical anti-life advocates initiated a pressure campaign designed to influence the Supreme Court’s opinion...” The language says that the advocates “defaced, vandalized, and caused destruction to over 100 pro-life facilities, groups, and churches.”  The resolution also took issue with the lack of response by the current administration.   

The abortion survivors bill passed 220-210 and the resolution against pro-abortion violence was approved 222-209.

U.S. Supreme Court to hear case of former postal employee who was refused religious accommodation about Sunday work

Gerald Groff is a former employee of the United States Postal Service who, according to the website for Christian legal organization First Liberty, began working for USPS as a letter carrier in Lancaster County, PA in 2012.  When Amazon began Sunday deliveries through the Postal Service, Groff asked to be excused from Sunday work, he was sent to another branch. Ultimately, that branch began Sunday deliveries, he again asked that he not work on Sundays.  First Liberty, on its website, stated:

The postmaster initially granted his request, allowing him to work additional shifts on other days of the week instead, but later the USPS offered only proposals that would still require Groff to work on Sundays and thereby violate his conscience. Forced to choose between his faith and his career, Groff resigned and sued the USPS. The district court sided with the USPS, concluding that accommodating Groff would pose an undue hardship on USPS. The Third Circuit upheld that decision.

Now, Gerald Groff will get his day in court in the highest court in the land, because the U.S. Supreme Court has announced it will take the case. First Liberty and other firms will be representing the former letter carrier; its website notes, "Attorneys for Groff, argue that, as a federal employee with USPS, Groff was protected by Title VII from discrimination based on his religious beliefs and practices. They suggest the Supreme Court re-examine TWA v. Hardison, the key case that determined the lower courts’ decisions."

Court dismisses case involving religious schools' receiving of federal funds

A Federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by a group of LGBTQ students who attend or formerly have attended religious schools, according to the Alliance Defending Freedom website, which claims that the suit "intends to prevent any students from using tuition grants, student loans, and any other federal financial assistance at schools that operate according to religious beliefs on sexuality."

ADF Senior Counsel and Vice President of U.S. Litigation David Cortman stated in response:

“A federal district court today rightly rejected an unfounded assault on the religious freedom of faith-based educational institutions. Title IX, which applies to schools receiving federal financial assistance, explicitly protects the freedom of religious schools to live out their deeply and sincerely held convictions. A group of activists asked the court to strip that protection away from schools that educate the next generation and advance the common good. The court correctly concluded that Title IX’s religious liberty exemption doesn’t violate any of the plaintiffs’ claimed rights.”

The 3 - January 8, 2023

The most recent edition of The 3, featuring three recent stories of relevance to the Christian community, including a broadening by a U.S. federal agency of availability of chemical abortion. Also, a European country has begun pulling back on permissive policies toward therapies and surgeries that purport to change the sex of a minor.  Also, two state supreme courts recently have ruled, essentially in different ways, on laws related to abortion in those states.

FDA widens access to chemical abortions

The rise in chemical abortion has become a dangerous trend, facilitated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which, during the COVID-19 pandemic, removed a requirement that the chemicals - a 2-pill regimen - be dispensed in person.

Recently, the FDA took another step by increasing the availability of chemical abortions. The Daily Citizen reported that: 

Recent actions by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as well as the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) will expand the availability of the abortion drugs mifepristone and misoprostol and ensure that companies sending the drugs through the mail will not blocked by an 1873 law making it illegal for the U.S. Postal Service to deliver anything “calculated to lead another to use or apply it for producing abortion.”

The report stated, "On January 3, 2023, the FDA modified what it calls its “Mifepristone REMS Program” to expand the availability of mifepristone to retail pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens." The article noted that, "States that prohibit abortion would still be able to prohibit pharmacies from dispensing the drug, but the increased availability in other states increases the prospect of more babies dying, as well as increasing the danger to women’s health."

The Daily Citizen article quotes Marjorie Dannenfelser, President of SBA Pro-Life America, who said, "Abortion activists want to turn every post office and pharmacy into an abortion business, and the Biden FDA is a willing participant – even while studies show emergency rooms are being flooded with women suffering from serious, life-threatening complications caused by abortion drugs..."

Sweden pulls back on allowing minors to attempt to change their sex

While there are those in the medical community and the political realm in the U.S. who want to make so-called gender change therapies and surgeries more available, a European nation would like to put on the brakes.  

CBNNews.com has reported that:

...Sweden's National Board of Health and Welfare (NBHW) recently changed its treatment guidelines for children with gender dysphoria admitting that "care has been characterized by both deficiencies in accessibility and a lack of knowledge about the results of the care."

In May, the board officially ended the practice of prescribing puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for minors under age 18, but now the board is cutting back on providing mastectomies to minors as well.

The article notes that "Sweden is one of several countries halting gender-affirming care after finding there is insufficient evidence to back that it is beneficial to minors, " adding, "As CBN's Faithwire reported, England's National Health Service recommended that doctors limit gender medical treatments for children."

However, Scotland is apparently heading in the opposite direction, The Christian Post has related that "Scotland's Parliament passed a bill...that, if enacted, will allow citizens as young as 16 to be legally recognized as transgender without requiring a gender dysphoria medical diagnosis." According to the article, the legislation "still awaits royal assent."

But, a high-ranking Scottish official has concerns; the article states:

Alister Jack, the secretary of state for Scotland, said in a statement that the government might block the legislation due to various concerns.

"We share the concerns that many people have regarding certain aspects of this Bill, and in particular the safety issues for women and children," said Jack, according to The Telegraph.

State supreme courts tackle abortion-related laws

Since the Dobbs ruling brought the overturning of Roe v. Wade, states have had the option to craft their own policies on abortion.  And, within the past few days, the Supreme Courts of two U.S. states have issued rulings that are seemingly diametrically opposed to each other. 

Liberty Counsel reports that the Idaho Supreme Court has upheld three different pro-life laws.  The organization's website stated:

In a 3-2 decision, Chief Justice Richard Bevan, Justice Gregory Moeller and Justice Robyn Brody upheld three pro-life state laws and echoed the U.S. Supreme Court’s reasoning for overturning Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey on June 24, 2022, finding that the right to an abortion is not “deeply rooted” in the state’s traditions and history.

The site states that the South Carolina Supreme Court...

...struck down a ban on abortion after cardiac activity is detected, ruling the restriction violates a state constitutional right to privacy.

In a 3-2 decision, the Court overturned South Carolina’s Fetal Heartbeat and Protection Act and ruled that is an unreasonable restriction upon a woman’s right to privacy to prevent her from having an abortion.

Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel Mat Staver is quoted as saying, “While we celebrate victory on behalf of the unborn and women in Idaho, this tragic ruling in South Carolina is a reminder that the fight for innocent unborn life continues in the states. The people of South Carolina need to amend the Constitution to protect life. Three judges should not impose a death sentence on innocent and helpless children..."

The 3 - December 25, 2022

This week's edition of The 3, highlighting three stories of relevance to the Christian community, highlights a recent federal appeals court ruling that upheld one state's action of allowing biological males to compete in female sports.  Also, hundreds of instances of violence against churches have been reported, bringing security concerns for the Church.  Plus, a group of lawmakers have challenged officials regarding the military paying for abortion-related services, including transportation of members to other states.

Court rules male athletes can continue to compete against females

In a case out of Connecticut that was spotlighted in a Meeting House conversation with Christiana Kiefer, who is Senior Counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled against four female athletes who were challenging the ability for biological males claiming to be female to compete against them. 

ADF's website reports that the lawsuit was "filed on behalf of four female athletes who were consistently deprived of honors and opportunities to compete at elite levels because the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference adopted a policy that allows males who identify as female to compete in girls’ athletic events..."

Kiefer is quoted as saying: "The 2nd Circuit got it wrong...Our clients—like all female athletes—deserve access to fair competition. Thankfully, a growing number of states are stepping up to protect women’s athletics. Right now, 18 states have enacted laws that protect women and girls from having to compete against males, and polls show that a majority of Americans agree that the competition is no longer fair when males are permitted to compete in women’s sports. Every woman deserves the respect and dignity that comes with having an equal opportunity to excel and win in athletics, and ADF remains committed to protecting the future of women’s sports.”

Hostility against churches continues

We have continued to spotlight acts of violence against pro-life ministries and churches dating back to just after the draft of the majority opinion in the Dobbs case was leaked. In fact, over the past few years, there have been a concerning number of attacks on churches in general, according to a disturbing report by Family Research Council.

In a press release, FRC stated that, "A total of 420 acts of hostility against churches occurred between January 2018 and September 2022 across 45 U.S. states and Washington, D.C." The study also notes, "There were at least 57 pro-abortion acts of hostility against churches from January 2022 to September 2022."

FRC President Tony Perkins stated, "As a former commissioner and chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom..., I've seen the warning signs of this gathering like clouds across the Atlantic. As the mainstream culture moves further and further away from a biblical worldview, I've witnessed the hostility to moral truth creep closer to our shores. The West, once the safe haven of free speech and religion, is turning cold to our religious foundations that have helped us thrive..."

  

He called for the current Administration to "do more" relative to attacks on churches. He added: 

"Christians must not live in fear. We must not be intimidated; we must continue to stand upon the truth of God and defending the freedom of all to live out their faith free from the fear that they will be subject to a violent attack."

The report's author, Arielle Del Turco, Assistant Director of the Center for Religious Liberty at FRC said that, "When faced with such blatant violence and disrespect against churches (and religion more broadly), our response must be to condemn these acts and reaffirm the right of all people to worship and live out their faith freely -- including the freedom to live without fear that they will be the next target of such an attack."

Lawmakers warn Defense Department that federal law prevents it paying for abortions

It is unfortunate and offensive that we have numerous lawmakers across America who support the taking of the lives of unborn children through abortion - and then want taxpayers to pay for it!  A group of members of Congress have taken the Department of Defense to task, sending a letter to the Secretary of Defense calling him out for supporting taxpayer-funded abortion. 

The Daily Signal reports:

“Both the law itself and Congressional intent are clear: the U.S. military may not fund elective abortion,” the bicameral group of lawmakers said in a letter first obtained by The Daily Signal. “This necessarily includes funding for any activity necessitated by the abortion, such as travel and transportation.”

Representatives Chris Smith and Vicky Hartzler and Senators Steve Daines and James Lankford were responsible for the letter, which, according to the article...

...references the Pentagon’s Oct. 20 memorandum announcing that the Defense Department would establish “travel and transportation allowances for Service members and their dependents … to facilitate official travel to access non covered reproductive health care that is unavailable within the local area of a Service member’s permanent duty station.”

The report also notes:

The lawmakers called on Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to explain whether the DOD has begun providing transportation and travel for abortions, and if so, where the money is coming from to fund this “illegal policy.” They also demanded specifics on during “what week gestation would travel and transportation to obtain an elective abortion be provided”—including whether the DOD would implement the illegal policy up until birth.

The 3 - December 18, 2022

This week's edition of The 3, focusing on three recent stories of relevance to the Christian community, includes a toy manufacturer's inclusion of gender identity-related subject matter in a guide it has made available.  Also, a flight attendant who lost her job due to her expression her pro-life views on personal social media has received not only a financial settlement, but a court has order that her employment be restored.  Plus, a second federal appeals court has ruled against what is known as the "transgender mandate," which would require medical professionals to perform sex-change surgeries, which they find objectionable due to conscience.

Toy manufacturer creates uproar due to its embrace of gender identity messages

Last week, I noted that actor Kirk Cameron had been rejected in attempts to schedule the reading of his latest book at libraries across the country.  He had been quoted by Fox News Digital as saying: "This is proof that more than ever, we are getting destroyed in the battle for the hearts and minds of our children."

Another instance of what Cameron was addressing comes from a major toy manufacturer.
CBNNews.com reports that:

American Girl has published a guide that advises girls as young as three to transition their gender, also promoting puberty blockers – and it is sparking outrage.

The American Girl website is selling "A Smart Girl's Guide: Body Image Book" for $12.99. The 96-page book, authored by Mel Hammond, shows four girls of different backgrounds on the cover and the subtitle reads, "how to love yourself, live life to the fullest, and celebrate all kinds of bodies."

According to CBN, "But screenshots shared by the DailyMail and parents on Facebook reveal that there is more to this guide than advertised."  The article notes:

The book normalizes being transgender, promotes the use of puberty blockers, and encourages free gender expression.

"If you haven't gone through puberty yet, the doctor might offer medicine to delay your body's changes, giving you more time to think about your gender identity," reads a snippet.

The article states, "Earlier this year, American Girl's parent company, Mattel, released a transgender Barbie doll." 

The CBN article referenced a Christian Post piece written by Anne Young, who is the mother of two girls.  She wrote:

I am calling on American Girl to stop publishing books that teach girls to destroy their bodies by changing their sex. I am calling on American Girl to go back to creating dolls and stop sending these destructive messages. I have loved this brand since my daughters were babies and we want to continue enjoying their products. But we can no longer do so unless they choose to change course. I emailed the executives and I encourage everyone to do likewise.

Families like mine go to the American Girl store to purchase dolls, not gender ideology. What they are pushing on our girls is horrific and it must be stopped.

Flight attendant suspended for pro-life views to be reinstated

A flight attendant who posted her pro-life views online, fresh off winning a court case several months ago, is now in position to get her job back, according to LifeNews.com, which reported that Charlene Carter...

...worked as a flight attendant at Southwest for nearly 21 years. In 2017, she was fired after sharing her pro-life beliefs on Facebook and speaking out against the Transportation Workers Union of America (TWU) Local 556 spending members’ dues on pro-abortion activities.

In July, a federal district court in Dallas, Texas awarded her $5.1 million, but she pressed on with her legal battle because of her love for her job and the customers she serves and carter hoped to get her job back. A judge has ruled that will now happen.

Decision Magazine reported that the latest ruling...

...also requires Southwest to rehire Carter with full seniority and benefits, send a copy of the jury’s verdict and judgement to all its flight attendants and post the documents on internal bulletin boards for at least 60 days, and inform flight attendants that the airline is not allowed to discriminate against them for expressing their opinion about abortion on social media.

The article noted that "...the judge limited the amount of damages to $810,180, which includes $300,000 each from Southwest and the union in compensation, $150,000 in back pay, and $60,180 in prejudgment interest."

Another federal appeals court blocks administration rule forcing medical professionals to perform transgender surgeries

Just a few weeks ago, the Administration allowed a deadline to pass to appeal a ruling by a Federal appeals court against a rule made by the Department of Health and Human Services that would force medical professionals to violate their conscience and be involved in surgeries intended to help a person change his or her gender.  

Another appeals court has issued a similar ruling, and Baptist Press reports:

The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Dec. 9 a permanent injunction that barred enforcement of a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) rule that has become known as the “transgender mandate.” A three-judge panel of the appeals court, which is based in St. Louis, unanimously affirmed a North Dakota federal judge’s decision that the Catholic entities that challenged the regulation were entitled to protection under a federal law that guarantees free exercise of religion.

In August, a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans unanimously endorsed a permanent injunction against the HHS rule issued by a federal judge in Texas. The Biden administration declined to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court by the 90-day deadline in late November.

Luke Goodrich, a former Meeting House guest who is Vice President and Senior Counsel at Becket, issued a statement from which the article quoted; he said: “The federal government has no business forcing doctors to violate their consciences or perform controversial procedures that could permanently harm their patients,” adding, “The government’s attempt to force doctors to go against their consciences was bad for patients, bad for doctors, and bad for religious liberty.”

The Baptist Press article pointed out the attempt on the part of HHS to change language to have a different meaning; it noted:

During the Obama administration, HHS’ original mandate, issued in 2016, defined sex to include “gender identity” and “termination of pregnancy.” The Trump administration issued a rule in 2020 that rescinded the Obama-era policy by returning to the ordinary interpretation of the word “sex.”

Under President Biden, however, HHS announced in May 2021 a reinterpretation of sex discrimination to include discrimination on the basis of both sexual orientation and gender identity. Sexual orientation includes homosexuality, bisexuality and pansexuality, while gender identity refers to the way a person perceives himself or herself regardless of biology at birth.

The 3 - December 11, 2022

In this week's edition of The 3, offering three stories of relevance to the Christian community, the so-called Respect for Marriage Act returned to the U.S. House after being amended and passed in the Senate, where it was approved again, amidst concerns of a lack of religious liberty protections.  Also, the U.S. Supreme Court held oral arguments in a case involving a graphic artist and web designer who did not wish to be forced by her home state to communicate messages about same-sex marriage that violate her religious beliefs.  Plus, a flight attendant will be getting her old job back after being dismissed for expressing her pro-life views. 

U.S. House passes Senate-amended version of so-called Respect for Marriage Act

This bill called the "Respect for Marriage Act," which actually does not show respect for marriage that consists of one man and one woman but reaffirms the concept of same-sex marriage, has now completed its journey through Congress, passing the U.S. House a few days ago - the chamber had passed the bill originally; after being amended in the Senate, it returned for another vote.

The Daily Citizen reported on the bill, which passed the House 258-169. It stated that it "embeds a false definition of marriage into the American legal fabric" and "repeals the Defense of Marriage Act," the 1996 bill that "defined marriage as the union of one man and one woman." The Respect for Marriage Act, the article says, "also codifies 'same-sex marriage' into federal law."

The article included a quote from Focus on the Family President Jim Daly, who said that: "Enshrining into law a destructive definition of marriage that undermines and expresses hostility towards God’s sacred design of a multi-millennia old institution invites the inevitability of unintended consequences. It also threatens to criminalize people of faith and jeopardize organizations that have done so much good for so long."

Kelly Shackelford, President and Chief Counsel of First Liberty said, "As our legal experts have made clear, this bill is a threat to religious liberty. It punishes the free exercise of religion by letting radical activists harass faith-based institutions in court because of their religious beliefs about marriage."

U.S. Supreme Court holds arguments in free speech case

Early last week, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of a Colorado graphic artist and web designer who does not wish to be forced to communicate messages on same-sex marriage to which she objects, based on her Christian beliefs.  The case is 303 Creative v. Elenis, and Alliance Defending Freedom is representing the designer, Lorie Smith. Matt Sharp, Senior Counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, discussed those oral arguments in a recent Meeting House conversation on Faith Radio. 

SCOTUS Blog reported:

Smith is challenging a Colorado law that prohibits most businesses from discriminating against LGBTQ customers. Requiring her to create websites for same-sex weddings, she argues, would violate her right to freedom of speech.

At the oral argument, Justice Sonia Sotomayor asserted that a ruling for Smith would be the first time that the Supreme Court had ruled that “commercial businesses could refuse to serve a customer based on race, sex, religion, or sexual orientation.” But Chief Justice John Roberts countered that the Supreme Court has never approved efforts to compel speech that is contrary to the speaker’s belief, and his five conservative colleagues signaled that they were likely to join him in a ruling for Smith.

The article notes that ADF CEO, President, and General Counsel "Kristen Waggoner emphasized that Smith 'decides what to create based on the message, not who requests it.'"

Actor rejected in numerous attempts to schedule the reading of a Christian story in public libraries

While the concept of the Drag Queen Story Hour has continue to spread, apparently, among taxpayer-funded public libraries, some libraries that allow these events have not been open to allowing a reading of a Christian story, according to a FoxNews.com report, which said that, regarding actor Kirk Cameron's request to read his book, As You Grow...

...over 50 public libraries have either outright rejected him or not responded to requests on his behalf.

A story-hour program for kids and parents connected to new book releases is an activity that many libraries typically present to their patrons and communities.

Many of the same libraries that won't give Cameron a slot, however, are actively offering "drag queen" story hours or similar programs for kids and young people, according to Cameron's book publisher and according to a review of the libraries' websites and current program listings.

The Fox article, published on December 7, noted that:

Reacting to the news that he has yet to be booked into a single children's story hour at a public library in America for his new book — and commenting on the rejections and comments he's received — Cameron told Fox News Digital, "This is proof that more than ever, we are getting destroyed in the battle for the hearts and minds of our children."

The 3 - December 4, 2022

This week's edition of The 3, featuring three recent stories of relevance to the Christian community, includes a court victory against a mandate for health professionals to be involved in so-called "gender assignment surgeries."  Also, another federal circuit court ruled in favor of Air Force members who have objected to the COVID vaccine for religious reasons. Plus, a majority of the U.S. Senate has caved on upholding religious freedom in approving the so-called "Respect for Marriage Act."

Deadline passes for administration to challenge court decision on transgender surgeries

Back in August, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit struck down a mandate that originally had been put in place since the Obama administration that, according to FoxNews.com, "required doctors and hospitals to performance [sic] gender reassignment surgeries on any patient – including children – even if it was against a doctor’s conscience or medical judgment."

At the time, the Biden administration was given a deadline of November 25 to appeal that decision - and it took a pass, meaning the mandate is no longer in effect.   Former Meeting House guest Luke Goodrich of Becket stated: "The final demise of this unconscionable mandate is a major victory for conscience rights and compassionate medical care in America," adding, "Thousands of doctors will be able to do their jobs without the government requiring them to perform harmful, irreversible procedures against their conscience and medical expertise."

One of the groups challenging the mandate, the Christian Medical and Dental Associations, issued a statement, in which CEO Mike Chupp is quoted; he said, "This key legal battle is a hard-fought victory that impacts and protects the rights of healthcare professionals across this country...After more than six years of fighting this case in federal court, we have now set a national precedent and ensured we can continue to provide the best and safest care to our patients.”

FoxNews.com also noted that, "A similar case is pending in the Eight Circuit Court of Appeals."

Air Force members receive relief concerning vax mandate

Attempts to mandate the COVID vaccine to members of the military have received quite a bit of pushback from numerous members, including those who have requested a religious exemption from the requirement to be vaccinated in order to serve. 

Liberty Counsel reports on its website that:

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously upheld a classwide injunction that protects U.S. Air Force personnel from the COVID-19 shot mandate since it violates their religious freedom under the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA).

There were 18 active duty or reservist plaintiffs in the lawsuit.  The lower court allowed that to be expanded to a class of thousands of Air Force members.

The Christian legal organization, which presents a daily commentary from its Founder and Chairman, Mat Staver, on Faith Radio, said:

After the Air Force ordered all service members to get vaccinated against COVID-19, approximately 10,000 members requested religious exemptions from this mandate. However, the Air Force granted only about 135 of these requests and only to those already planning to leave the service. By July 2022, the Air Force had “administratively separated” 834 members. Yet it has granted thousands of other exemptions for medical reasons, such as a pregnancy or allergy, or administrative reasons, such as an impending retirement. 

Judge Murphy of the Sixth Circuit wrote, "Under RFRA, the Air Force wrongly relied on its ‘broadly formulated’ reasons for the vaccine mandate to deny specific exemptions to the Plaintiffs, especially since it has granted secular exemptions to their colleagues. We thus may uphold the Plaintiffs’ injunction based on RFRA alone."

Staver is quoted as saying: "No service member should be required to choose between service to the country and service to God. This will be a good precedent for our upcoming argument at the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals and our January trial seeking a permanent classwide injunction for the U.S. Marines.”

Respect for Marriage Act endures challenges on religious liberty basis, passes U.S. Senate

An amended version of the so-called "Respect for Marriage Act," which not only is a legislative action upholding same-sex marriage, but presented valid religious liberty concerns, according to a number of Christian organization, after attempts to strengthen religious liberty protections failed, was passed by the U.S. Senate.  It now goes back to the House for affirmation.

The James Dobson Family Institute posted a statement from its Founder Chairman, James Dobson, who is heard on Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk Saturday mornings on Faith Radio, and the Institute's Senior Vice-President of Public Policy Gary Bauer; they stated:

The proponents insisted they were merely trying to protect same-sex marriages, but same-sex marriage is under no imminent threat. Instead, the bill struck a dangerous blow against Americans’ fundamental right of religious freedom, and the potential ramifications are distressing.

The post noted some of those ramifications:

1. It will make it easier to override legal protections for religious freedom.
2. It sets the stage for government agencies to proclaim, and courts to find, a governmental “compelling interest” that justifies forcing religious entities to recognize same-sex marriages.
3. It takes a step toward revoking the tax-exempt status of religious organizations whose views do not align with the LGBTQ agenda.
4. It could force faith-based foster and adoption care agencies to place children with same-sex couples.
5. It could mandate that religious organizations hire and retain staff who publicly repudiate the entity's beliefs about traditional marriage.

The 3 - November 27, 2022

In this week's edition of The 3, featuring three recent relevant stories for the Christian community, there is an update from a story last week involving a judge in Georgia who had placed the state's pro-life "heartbeat" law on hold - the state Supreme Court said that the law could continue to be enforced while an appeal by the state's attorney general is being heard.  Also, another state supreme court, the Alabama Supreme Court, became involved in a free speech case, ruling that a lawsuit against a university in the state over its on-campus speech policies can continue.  Plus, the Food and Drug Administration is facing legal action over its loosening of policies involving chemical abortions.

GA Supreme Court reinstates ban on abortions after heartbeat is detected

Last week, I reported that a county judge in Georgia struck down the law passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor that would ban abortion when the heartbeat of a pre-born child is detected. The bill was passed prior to the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the Dobbs decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which was the rationale behind the judge's decision, who struck the law down because it was passed prior to that Supreme Court decision.

But, the Georgia Supreme Court had a different idea and put the Fulton County judge's ruling on hold, according to WSB Television, which said:

The Georgia Supreme Court has overturned the stay on Georgia’s heartbeat abortion law, effectively making abortions after six weeks illegal again in the state.

In a one-page order, the high court put a lower court ruling overturning the ban on hold while it considers an appeal. Abortion providers who had resumed performing the procedure past six weeks after the lower court ruling will again have to stop.

The article on the TV station's website said:

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr filed an immediate appeal with the Georgia Supreme Court. Carr’s office also asked the high court for an order putting the decision on hold while the appeal was pending.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court granted an emergency stay of the lower’s court’s ruling, which allowed the heartbeat abortion law to go into effect again as the state’s appeals continue. The Supreme Court did not give an explanation about why it granted the stay.

Free speech ruling from AL Supreme Court allows student's legal action to continue

There was a positive outcome by the Alabama Supreme Court involving a student at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, a member of a campus organization, who had challenged a speech policy at the school. According to the website of Alliance Defending Freedom:

Student members of Young Americans for Liberty want to engage their peers in important policy debates about a variety of issues including gun control, federalism, and other topics, but are refraining from doing so for fear of violating the university’s burdensome speech policy. The policy requires students to share their views on certain topics in specified speech zones and request approval to speak days in advance. And because the permits are subject to the university’s approval, administrators can pick and choose which events and viewpoints are allowed on campus.

ADF claims, "Alabama’s Campus Free Speech Act requires public colleges and universities to respect the free speech rights of students on campus and explicitly prohibits speech zones, prior permission requirements, and other speech-suppressive measures."  It argued that the UAH policy violated Alabama law.

The state's highest court agreed.  The ADF website reported that, "The Alabama Supreme Court ruled unanimously...to allow a free speech lawsuit to proceed by a Young Americans for Liberty chapter and student-member Joshua Greer..." ADF Senior Counsel and Vice President of Appellate Advocacy John Bursch is quoted as saying, “College students have the freedom to share their beliefs anywhere on campus; they don’t need permission from college officials to speak, nor should they have to jump through burdensome and illegal hoops just to talk with their classmates outside,” adding, “We’re pleased the Alabama Supreme Court has affirmed the freedom of all college students to speak freely on campus without being restricted to small speech zones. The university never should have attempted to skirt the explicit provisions of state law that reinforce these rights."

FDA sued over chemical abortion policy

It has been noted that chemical abortions or "mail-order abortions" have become one of the leading sources of abortion in the nation, and this was set off by the Food and Drug Administration loosening restrictions on the distribution of the two-pill regimen that is used to terminate a pregnancy.

The Charlotte Lozier Institute issued a press release applauding a lawsuit filed by Alliance Defending Freedom challenging the FDA's policy-making.  It linked to the court filing, indicating a number of organizations and individuals who are plaintiffs in the suit, including the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American College of Pediatricians, and the Christian Medical and Dental Associations.

The press release stated:

Charlotte Lozier Institute, which in 2021 revealed a dramatic surge in abortion pill-related emergency room visits, today applauded Alliance Defending Freedom for challenging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) erroneous and highly-politicized approval of the abortion drug regimen of mifepristone and misoprostol, which redefined pregnancy as an “illness.”

It quoted from Dr. James Studnicki, who serves as vice president of data analytics for the Lozier Institute, who has been the "lead author" of "abortion pill studies;" he stated: “The safety of chemical abortion is greatly exaggerated. In fact, the increasing dominance of chemical abortion and its disproportionate contribution to emergency room morbidity is a serious public health threat, and the real-world data suggests that threat is growing."

The 3 - November 20, 2022

This week's edition of The 3, featuring three recent stories of relevance to the Christian community, including news of a federal judge's ruling protecting medical professionals from being forced to perform surgeries that presume to change a person's biological sex.  Also, a piece of legislation designed to protect same-sex marriage that also infringes on religious liberties has crossed the 60-vote threshold to move forward in the U.S. Senate.  And, a local judge in the state of Georgia has struck down that state's pro-life heartbeat bill, saying that when the Legislature passed it, Roe v. Wade had not yet been overturned.

Judge rules Title IX cannot be used to force gender surgeries

Title IX is the 50-year-old law preventing discrimination based on sex. There continue to be attempts to expand the definition of "sex" in that law to include gender identity and sexual orientation.  Section 1557 is a provision of the Affordable Care Act that prevents discrimination regarding medical services. 

The Christian Post reported recently, regarding the Department of Health and Human Services...

In May 2021, the HHS announced that it was going to interpret Title IX’s explicit prohibition on sex discrimination to include sexual orientation and gender identity.

Under the new interpretation, the HHS Office for Civil Rights would enforce Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act to protect “the civil rights of individuals who access or seek to access covered health programs or activities” and stop discrimination “against consumers on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.”

So, basically, it would appear that Section 1557 would be interpreted to force medical professionals to perform gender-change surgeries.  And, a Federal judge has said, "no" in a case involving two doctors who had filed a lawsuit. The Christian Post article from last week said:

The case centered on two Texas physicians who filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Notification of Interpretation and Enforcement of Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which interpreted Title IX’s definition of sex to include sexual orientation and gender identity.

The physicians sued, arguing that the Notification forced them to provide services such as body-mutilating surgeries on people suffering from gender dysphoria, such as castration and double mastectomies, and that it violated federal administrative procedures.

In a decision released Friday, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk of the Northern District of Texas, Amarillo Division, ruled that “Title IX operates in binary terms — male and female — when it references ‘on the basis of sex.’”

Respect for Marriage Act moves forward in the U.S. Senate

On Wednesday, the so-called "Respect for Marriage Act" crossed a critical threshold, acquiring 60+ votes in order to move the bill forward.  Combined with the approval already given by the House, this bill, known as H.R. 8404, not only has placed the principles of the Supreme Court's Obergefell ruling into legislation, but poses a serious threat to religious liberty.

The Daily Citizen quoted from Jim Daly, the president of Focus on the Family, who stated:

Instead of respecting marriage, H.R. 8404 further unravels the historic, cross-cultural and biblical definition of marriage as the life-long, covenantal relationship between a husband and wife.

This measure goes far beyond the Supreme Court’s Obergefell decision, as it enshrines “same-sex marriage” into federal law.

The article notes that:

The Senate moved forward an amended version of the bill, with supposed protections for religious freedom. But Daly said those protections weren’t enough, explaining that the measure only protects religious organizations or people who perform marriages.

Alliance Defending Freedom issued a statement, which included these words from CEO, President, and General Counsel Kristen Waggoner:

Today, the Senate chose to fuel hostility toward Americans who hold beliefs about marriage rooted in honorable religious or philosophical premises. This bill, which provides no protection or benefits that same-sex couples don’t already share, deceptively gives lip service to religious liberty while undermining the First Amendment freedoms that belong to each of us. …

It is shameful that 62 senators chose to ignore the Constitution and sanction discrimination toward these Americans. Make no mistake, this bill will be used by officials and activists to punish and ruin those who do not share the government’s view on marriage.

Judge strikes down Georgia heartbeat bill

In 2019, the Georgia Legislature passed and Governor Brian Kemp signed a bill that banned abortion beginning at the time that a heartbeat is detected in the pre-born child, generally thought to be at about 6 to 7 weeks.  A CBN News online report said that the bill "had been blocked from taking effect until the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that had legalized abortion nationwide for nearly 50 years."  It added: "The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had allowed Georgia to begin enforcing its abortion law just over three weeks after the high court's decision in June."

But a Superior Court Judge in Fulton County, which is where Atlanta is located, has struck down that bill, according to the article, which says that Judge Robert McBurney "...ruled that the law which took effect in 2019 was invalid because Roe v. Wade had not yet been struck down. McBurney did leave the door open for the legislature to revisit the ban."

The article notes that: "Andrew Isenhour, a spokesperson for...Gov. Brian Kemp, said McBurney's ruling placed 'the personal beliefs of a judge over the will of the legislature and people of Georgia.'" In a statement, he said: "The state has already filed a notice of appeal, and we will continue to fight for the lives of Georgia's unborn children.  Bill sponsor, state Rep. Ed Setzler, "from the Atlanta suburb of Acworth...said he was confident the state Supreme Court would overrule McBurney and reinstate the ban."

The 3 - November 13, 2022

This week's edition of The 3 looks back at the mid-term elections and how the life issue factored into the results.  Also, a Christian organization who won a lawsuit against the city of Boston has now received a financial settlement. Plus, a Vermont middle school coach and his high school-aged daughter have been punished as the result of "misgendering" a student, a male identifying as female who was allowed to use the girls' locker room. 

Role of abortion in mid-term elections

After the Dobbs decision from the U.S. Supreme Court, the decision on abortion would be left to the states.  So, in all 50 states in the mid-terms, where state legislators and chief executives across the land were facing electoral contests, you might expect that the candidates' viewpoint on abortion would play a role.  Add to that five states where constitutional amendments were on the ballot, and you certainly had the makings of a potential campaign issue.

How much?  Hard to say. The Christian Post analyzed the role of the issue, and cited exit polling that showed that 27% of voters said that abortion was the most important issue for them, with about 3/4 indicating that they may have adopted a position in favor of abortion.  There was also reported evidence that younger women, perhaps motivated by the Dobbs decision, voted in favor of a pro-abortion position.

But, as The Washington Stand reported, pro-life governors in state after state did well in the election contests. The article quoted Brent Keilen, vice president of FRC Action, an arm of Family Research Council, who said, “You have to play offense to move the ball down the field and score. The same holds true in public policy. The candidates who were proactive on the life issue, defined their pro-life positions, and defined the extreme ideologies they were running against — in most cases legal abortion for any reason up until the moment of birth — did very well at the ballot box. This held true in even traditionally competitive states like Georgia, Florida, Ohio, and Iowa.”

That article, as well as a piece on LifeNews.com, elaborated on pro-life victories; some examples included:

In Texas, pro-life Governor Greg Abbot signed what became America’s first aboriton ban and it successfully saved babies from abortions even befor the Suipreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. bet O’Rourke campaigned almost exclusively on abortion and spend tens of millions to defeat Abbott. He lost by 11%.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill to ban abortions after 15 weeks and championed it during the debate with Charlie Crist. DeSantis blew away Crist on election night, winning by 19%.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed his state’s heartbeat law protecting babies from abortions at 6 weeks and he won easily. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed a similar law and handily beat Stacey Abrams 53-45. And in Oklahoma there was significant concern that Governor Kevin Stitt would be unseated because he signed an abortion ban, but he trounced his pro-abortion opponent by 14%.

The article also noted that the outcome of the votes on the five amendments was against the pro-life position. Joy Stockbauer, a policy analyst with the Center for Human Dignity for FRC, stated, "The simple truth is that many voters either abstain or fail to vote their true values because of deceptive wording,” adding, “The millions of dollars poured into ballot initiatives by the abortion industry muddied the waters and misrepresented what the ballot initiatives actually meant. Fundamentally, in a nation that values the dignity of every person, whether or not a human being lives or dies should not be left to a popular vote.”

Religious freedom victory in Boston yields financial compensation

I have reported to you and commented on the three major religious freedom victories emerging out of the previous session of the U.S. Supreme Court.  One of them involved a Christian organization, Camp Constitution, that desired to fly a Christian flag at Boston's City Hall to celebrate a special observance. The city officials chose not to allow this, even though it had not turned down any organization before.

So, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Camp Constitution, which is directed by Harold Shutleff; recently, a financial consideration to back the decision was announced. The Daily Citizen reported:

Once the high court spoke, it was up to the lower courts to issue the necessary injunctions and deal with an award of attorney’s fees in Shurtleff’s favor. Shurtleff and the city then reached an agreement on attorney’s fees and stipulated to a dismissal of the case.

Shurtleff’s attorneys celebrated the win in a press release.

Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, “We are pleased that after five years of litigation and a unanimous victory at the U.S. Supreme Court, we joined with Hal Shurtleff to finally let freedom fly in Boston, the Cradle of Liberty...

Bruce Hausknecht, judicial analyst for Focus on the Family and writer of the Daily Citizen piece, said...

...when a government entity gets worried it will commit an “establishment of religion” violation by permitting religious speech that might be attributed to the government, and then prohibits such speech – like denying the use of a Christian flag – it sometimes goes too far and commits a free speech violation.

That’s why, once Boston lost its argument that its flag-raising program was “government speech,” not private speech, it was destined to lose the case. And to pay Harold Shurtleff’s attorney’s fees.

The Supreme Court’s decision in Shurtleff’s case and subsequent payment of attorney’s fees will send a strong message to government officials everywhere: Think twice before you discriminate against religious speech. It could cost you.

Father and daughter - coach and student - both suspended for "misgendering" male student who used female facilities

In Vermont, Travis Allen and his 14-year-old daughter Blake have both faced punishment for identifying a biological male in a girls' locker room as, well, a male.  CBN News reported that:

In September, a 14-year-old male student who identifies as female and plays on the Randolph Union High School girls' volleyball team entered the locker room while the girls were changing.

"A male was in our locker room when volleyball girls were trying to get changed," Blake told the Daily Signal. "And after I asked him to leave, he didn't, and later looked over at girls with their shirts off. And it made many people uncomfortable and feel violated. And I left as soon as I could in a panic."

Blake made comments about the fact that the student was male, and CBN reported that, "The school began an investigation into Blake's comments and decided to punish her, claiming the student-athlete violated the school's Harassment, Hazing, and Bullying policy."  

Then, her father, formerly a coach at a middle school in the district, "expressed his views about the incident on a local news station's Facebook page." The article says:

A user identifying as the "mother of the trans student in question" claimed Blake "made up the story for attention," and that the "truth will prevail."

Travis defended his daughter saying, "The truth is your son watched my daughter and multiple other girls change in the locker room. While he got a free show, they got violated."

The district superintendent determined that by writing that comment, the father had "misgendered a transgender student" and suspended Travis from his job as the middle school girls' soccer coach without pay for the rest of the season.

Alliance Defending Freedom has filed a lawsuit against the school district on behalf of Travis and Blake, according to the article.  Blake had been suspended, but that was "lifted" after the lawsuit was filed.

The 3 - November 6, 2022

In this week's edition of The 3, highlighting three recent stories of impact to the Christian community, a fired high school football coach in Washington state is heading back to work, following the Supreme Court decision upholding his right to pray after games.  Also, a grocery store chain has entered into a settlement with two employees who said that wearing an LGBTQ apron was inconsistent with their religious beliefs and were fired.  And, a UFC fighter from Iran has stood in solidarity with protestors in his home country and testified to his relationship with Christ.

Back to Bremerton for fired praying football coach

Former Bremerton, Washington assistant football coach, Joe Kennedy, after having his right to pray at midfield after football games upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, is returning to work in Washington. The New York Post reported that: "Joe Kennedy and the Bremerton School District both submitted a joint stipulation in US district court...asking Kennedy to be reinstated to his assistant coach position at Bremerton High School on or before March 15, 2023, according to court documents obtained by CBS."

The article goes on to say...

...a clause was included in the record that the district cannot “interfere with or prohibit Kennedy from offering a prayer consistent with the U.S. Supreme Court’s opinion.”

Additionally, the district is not allowed to “retaliate against or take any future adverse employment action against Kennedy for conduct that complies with the terms of the court’s order.”

The New York Post story included a quote from the Washington Examiner from Jeremy Dys, attorney at First Liberty, which represented the coach; he said: "Since the Supreme Court released its decision in June, it was inevitable that Coach Kennedy would be back on the field,” adding, “We’re glad that the school district has agreed that by March 15, 2023, he’ll be back to coaching, just like he wanted when he filed the lawsuit.”

Grocery store chain settles with employees who declined to wear LGBTQ aprons

Two employees at a Kroger store in Conway, Arkansas, who declined to wear aprons that contained LGBTQ imagery have received a settlement from the grocery store chain. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission argued on behalf of the two former employees, according to ChristianHeadlines.com, which reported that:

The apron depicted a “rainbow-colored heart emblem on the bib,” and the two employees believed that wearing it would “violate their religious beliefs,” the EEOC said.

One woman “offered to wear the apron with the emblem covered, and the other offered to wear a different apron without the emblem, but the company made no attempt to accommodate their requests,” the EEOC said.

When the women “still refused to wear the apron with the emblem visible,” the EEOC said, Kroger “retaliated against them by disciplining and ultimately discharging them.”

Even though, as the story relates, "Kroger denies the allegations," the article states:

As part of the settlement, Kroger will pay $180,000 and “create a religious accommodation policy and provide enhanced religious discrimination training to store manage­ment,” EEOC said.

Iranian UFC fighter testifies to relationship with Christ

The death of an Iranian woman, who had refused to wear a headscarf, at the hands of authorities in that nation continues to reverberate, even into the world of UFC fighting.

The Christian Post reported that, following a recent victory, "Iranian UFC fighter Beneil Dariush took a moment during his recent victory speech to share the hope he has in Christ with the people of his country amid weeks of social unrest following the death of Mahsa Amini."  The article reports that Dariush said after the victory:

"...I need to dedicate this fight to my people in Iran," he told the reporter in the ring. "I know you're struggling. I know you're fighting for freedom. I know it's a tough struggle. I want you guys to know we're praying for you, and we love you."

The fighter added:

"This might be the most important thing you'll ever hear: there is true freedom, a freedom that no one can take from you in the name of Jesus Christ, the son of God. Don't ever forget that. If you remember one thing I say, remember that."

The article recounted the series of events involving the death of the 22-year-old in Iran, which has set off protests in the country. It stated:

The demonstrations were prompted by the death of 22-year-old Amini, a young woman arrested by Iran's morality police on Sep.13 for allegedly defying the Islamic government's strict requirement for women to wear hijabs or headscarves. Amini died while in custody three days later, which sparked anti-regime protests across Iran.