The 3 - October 31, 2021

This week's edition of The 3 highlights three more stories of relevance to the Christian community, including a student group at a university in Texas that has received official recognition by the school.  Also, there are more developments surrounding religious exemptions to the COVID vaccine.  And, a Bible app has been removed from the Apple Store in China.

Texas university reverses course on recognizing Christian group

There is a nationwide student group that has chapters on campuses that is called, Ratio Christi. And, at the University of Houston-Clear Lake, it was not granted recognition as an official campus group because, of all things, it required its leaders to be Christians.

Alliance Defending Freedom filed a lawsuit on Monday of last week, and Friday, the school announced it had done an about-face and made the "decision to grant full recognition" to Ratio Christi on that campus, according to the ADF website.

ADF Legal Counsel Caleb Dalton stated:

"...We commend the university and its general counsel for taking quick action to correct this injustice. Now, the university must do the next right thing and rescind the unconstitutional policies that are still in place that were used to exclude Ratio Christi because it requires its leaders to agree with its values and mission. It’s natural and expected that a Christian organization would require its leaders to be Christian; the university allows other organizations to have similar, commonsense leadership requirements..."

Federal judge rules that unvaccinated federal employees cannot be terminated during lawsuit

Across the nation, employees are standing against being forced to take the COVID-19 vaccination.  Some are actually losing their jobs because of their action.  A number of these employees have attempted to apply for religious exemptions, only to find those requests rejected.

ChristianHeadlines.com reported on the actions of a federal judge in the D.C. Circuit who granted a favorable ruling to federal employees, civilian and military, who do not wish to take the shot. The article said:

According to Fox News, both civilian and active-duty military plaintiffs had sued the administration for not granting them religious exemptions to the COVID-19 vaccines.

The story quoted District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who said, "None of the civilian employee plaintiffs will be subject to discipline while his or her request for a religious exception is pending..." The Christian Headlines article also noted:

Additionally, the judge ruled "active duty military plaintiffs, whose religious exception requests have been denied, will not be disciplined or separated during the pendency of their appeals."

Meanwhile, an attempt by officials to judge the quality of a person's religious exemption was highlighted by The Christian Post, which reported that...

The Safer Federal Workforce task force website posted an updated template on Friday for the federal government to use when assessing whether an employee can qualify for a religious exemption.

Questions asked on the form include a request to “describe the nature of your objection to the COVID-19 vaccination requirement” and an explanation for how being vaccinated would “substantially burden your religious exercise or conflict with your sincerely held religious beliefs.”

The Post article quoted a commissioner on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Andrea R. Lucas, who shared this with The Federalist: “The law does not provide a pandemic-related exception for disregarding the rights of religious employees...No matter the context, intrusive questions presuming insincerity from the start, seeking to ‘catch’ an employee in an inconsistency, and looking for any reason to deny a religious accommodation request, are inappropriate.”

Also, as the article notes, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley "sent a letter to the leadership of the Safer Federal Workforce Taskforce arguing that the questions showcased a 'contempt for religious liberty.'"

Bible app removed from Apple store in China

A Bible app has been removed from the Apple Store for customers in China, an indication of how American companies desire to appease that government, even at the expense of religious freedom. 

CBN.com reported that the app, Bible App by Olive Tree, as well as a Quran app, Quran Majeed, had been removed, pointing out that, "Chinese officials claim the apps violate laws that prohibit the use of religious text or materials."  This was actually publicized by a Twitter account called AppleCensorship.com, which monitors incidents of censorship by the tech giant.

The article also notes:

A spokesperson from Olive Tree told the Washington Examiner, "We are currently reviewing the requirements to obtain the necessary permit with the hope that we can restore our app to China's App Store and continue to distribute the Bible worldwide."

The 3 - October 24, 2021

This week's edition of The 3, featuring three stories of relevance to the Christian community, includes a look back at the previous week of developments around the kidnapping of 17 people in Haiti, consisting of missionaries and their families. Also, the U.S. Supreme Court will be hearing arguments next week in the federal government's lawsuit against a law from the state of Texas that prohibits abortion after the heartbeat of a pre-born baby is detected.  And, there are more developments concerning the directive by the Department of Justice concerning parents at school board meetings who voice opposition to school policies. 

Missionaries and families kidnapped, held for ransom, in Haiti

The devastating news came from Haiti, last weekend and was posted in secular and Christian media. Christian Aid Ministries, which is based in Ohio, related the news on its website:

Christian Aid Ministries workers who were abducted while on a trip to visit an orphanage on Saturday, October 16. We are seeking God’s direction for a resolution, and authorities are seeking ways to help.

The group of sixteen U.S citizens and one Canadian citizen includes six men, six women, and five children.

The Christian Post reported:

An 8-month-old baby is among the 17 kidnapped missionaries in Haiti being held for a ransom of $17 million by the notorious 400 Mawozo gang, Christian Aid Ministries said Tuesday as officials in the troubled Caribbean nation and the U.S. continue negotiating for their release.

Haitian Justice Minister Liszt Quitel confirmed Tuesday that the 400 Mawozo gang, which kidnapped the missionaries Saturday while they were working with Christian Aid Ministries, demanded $1 million each for their safe return.

“Many people, including CAM management and Haitian and U.S. authorities, are working diligently to bring our loved ones home safely,” Christian Aid Ministries said in a statement.

SCOTUS adds another abortion case to docket

Just before the law was set to go into effect almost two months, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to block the Texas Heartbeat Act, preventing abortion after the heartbeat of an pre-born child is detected. The Biden Administration filed a lawsuit and the case worked its way through the federal courts, only to be temporarily halted - again - by the high court.  LifeNews.com reported:

The nation’s highest court agreed to review the pro-abortion lawsuits against the abortion ban and set oral arguments for November 1. That means the ban will stay in place for several more days — likely saving anywhere from 50-100 babies each day from abortions.

This, coupled with the oral arguments in the Mississippi 15-week ban on abortions, gives the high court two opportunities to examine abortion law in America, which has been determined on a federal level by the flawed Roe vs. Wade decision, prompting states to pass hundreds of laws, such as those in Texas and Mississippi, that put restrictions in place.

AG whiffs on explaining unleashing federal agencies on concerned parents

Over the past few weeks, an association of school boards across America had submitted a letter to the Attorney General, asking that parents who oppose policies in local school districts be investigated. The language of that original letter likened to these protesting parents exercising their First Amendment free speech rights as "domestic terrorists."

The Alliance Defending Freedom website, reporting on a Congressional hearing this week, quoted ADF General Counsel Kristen Waggoner on the comments of Attorney General Merrick Garland on the issue; she said:

“Today, Attorney General Garland failed to provide concrete evidence to support his aggressive and misguided directive to use federal law enforcement to investigate parents exercising their First Amendment rights at local school board meetings, presumably using the same federal laws employed to investigate domestic terrorism and other criminal activities.

The Family Research Council website stated:

Garland, meanwhile, tried to diffuse the outrage, claiming that the FBI wouldn't follow through with its threat to open a "snitch line on parents" as Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) called it. "I think parental involvement is very important in education," the weary AG tried to claim.

But, there is evidence that the administration and the National School Boards Association were acting in tandem, according to FRC:

The Washington Free Beacon broke the story late Thursday that Joe Biden's team had indeed been conspiring behind closed doors with the activist group. While members of the NSBA's own board weren't consulted about the letter (which, as some complained, used "extreme" language and called for action beyond "what many of us would consider reasonable"), others from the NSBA had been "in talks" for "several weeks with White House staff."

And, on Friday, according to the New York Post:

The National School Boards Association board of directors Friday repudiated a letter its two top officials sent to President Biden, which precipitated Attorney General Merrick Garland’s order that the FBI to investigate complaints of threats to school officials from parents.

The article noted that, "Emails obtained earlier this week by the group Parents Defending Education showed that board members had not been consulted about the Sept. 29 letter, which suggested that parents who object to mask mandates and the imposition of critical race theory in classrooms are engaging in 'a form of domestic terrorism.'”  Over the past few weeks, we have seen incidents of parents protesting not only mask mandates and CRT, but also pornographic material being taught in schools. And, in Virginia, a father was removed from a meeting because of his vocal protests regarding 

allegations of his daughter being sexually assaulted in a bathroom by a boy dressing as a girl. FRC noted:

On Thursday, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland took his own turn in the hot seat at the House Judiciary Committee, delivering what Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) called the most "ill-prepared" remarks he'd heard in 20 years. "It's very surprising... He [offered nothing but] simple talking points over and over and in response to [a] very serious series of questions..." Squeezed by both sides, Garland seemed completely oblivious to what has been headline news for weeks. Asked about the Loudoun County situation -- one of the incidents that prompted the DOJ to unleash the FBI on local parents, Garland feigned ignorance. "It sounds like a state case, and I am not familiar with it, I'm sorry," the attorney general responded.

The 3 - October 17, 2021

This week's edition of The 3, with three stories of relevance impacting the Christian community, includes threats to free speech threats for pro-life people in California.  Also, I pinpoint several developments in different parts of the country regarding COVID vaccine mandates.  And, a Canadian pastor who has resisted restrictions on church gatherings in that nation has been arrested yet again.

California governor signs law to curb pro-life speech, draws lawsuit

The state of California has certainly shown its hostility toward speaking on behalf of the unborn. A law that would have forced pro-life pregnancy centers to promote abortion was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court, and recently, pro-life people who desire to exercise their First Amendment rights to protest and to communicate truth with women who are considering taking the life of their unborn child.

According to Life Legal Defense Foundation, in a press release issued last Monday announcing its filing of a legal challenge to the law, stated:

Using the threat of COVID as an excuse, the Legislature enacted a breathtaking restriction on speech that will ban core First Amendment activity in numerous locations across California.

The law, SB 742, was signed by Governor Newsom on Friday. While SB 742 started out as a bill to restrict protests concerning COVID vaccines, it was amended to cover every location where any type of vaccine is provided. Planned Parenthood, Family Planning Associates, and other abortionists dispense STD vaccines, including Gardasil, which makes them “vaccination sites” for the purpose of the law.

The organization stated:

Life Legal is filing the lawsuit on behalf of pro-life sidewalk counselors who regularly speak with women entering “vaccination site” abortion clinics, and who provide literature and display signs offering help with abortion alternatives – all activities that may be illegal under the new law.

Vax mandate developments in major states

The decision whether or not to receive a COVID-19 vaccine should ideally be a decision of conscience, not a matter of government coercion.  Citizens should not be forced to ingest any substance to which a person would have an objection. Those objections can be for a variety of reasons, including medical concerns, or even based on someone's religious convictions.

The Christian Post reports on the actions of Governor Greg Abbott of Texas within the past few days. In an Executive Order, according to the article, Abbott stated, "No entity in Texas can compel receipt of a COVID-19 vaccine by any individual, including an employee or a consumer, who objects to such vaccination for any reason of personal conscience, based on a religious belief, or for medical reasons, including prior recovery from COVID-19,” and he added, “I hereby suspend all relevant statutes to the extent necessary to enforce this prohibition.”

Meanwhile, healthcare employees in New York will continued to be spared from being forced to receive the COVID vaccine; The Christian Post reported:

A federal judge on Tuesday granted a preliminary injunction against New York's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers after a group of 17 Christian medical professionals, including doctors and nurses, protested in a lawsuit that the mandate violated their religious freedom by not allowing employers to consider religious exemptions.

U.S. District Judge David N. Hurd issued a new order blocking the New York health department from rejecting employer-approved religious exemptions to the vaccine mandate enacted on Aug. 26. It comes as a similar order issued in September was set to expire.

And, Ohio pastors have written a letter to President Biden, expressing their concerns over mandated vaccinations, either directly through forcing government employees to receive a COVID vaccine or pressuring businesses and companies, under threat of fines, to force their employees to receive the shot. CBN.com reported: "A group of Ohio clergy representing more than 100 congregations across the state signed a letter Monday that was addressed to President Biden, detailing why they strongly disapprove of his directive, according to Front Lines Ohio."  The CBN article quoted from the letter, which said, "This unilateral and divisive order is unethical and tantamount to what a totalitarian king would dictate," adding, "Furthermore Mr. President, with respect to your vaccine mandate, we respond by saying 'We have no king but King Jesus.'"

Canadian pastor jailed for violating COVID protocols arrested again

The coronavirus has certainly been disheartening for Artur Pawlowski, a pastor from Canada who has now faced multiple arrests for standing against the regulations of public health officials.  CBN.com reported earlier this month on a recent arrest of Pawlowski, "who is of Polish descent," who "garnered widespread attention in April when he kicked health officials and law enforcement officers — who were there to enforce mask mandates — out of his church."

He was arrested again in May by the Calgary Police Service for "holding indoor worship services, which the agency described as 'organizing an illegal in-person gathering.'"

Then, more recently, according to the article, the pastor "was taken into custody once again this week, when he was apprehended and handcuffed by police on the Tarmac of the Calgary International Airport, according to Global News." The article notes that charges were not specified by officials nor Pawlowski's lawyer.

Foxnews.com reported that Pawlowski told Laura Ingraham:

"I came to the United States with a simple warning," the pastor told Ingraham about his recent trip abroad.

"You're next," he said. "If they came for me, be sure of it, they're coming for you as well."

The Christian Post reported last Friday on the sentence handed down by a judge: he has avoided jail time, but was sentenced to 18 months' probation, 120 hours of community service, $23,000 in fines, and what amounts to a gag order: if he comments on COVID restrictions, he is required to add additional language consistent with the government-supported view on COVID-related policy.

The 3 - October 10, 2021

This week's edition of The 3, featuring three stories of relevance to the Christian community, includes two stories regarding the abortion issue: the temporary blockage of the Texas heartbeat bill and subsequent reversal of the ban by a federal appeals court, and the restoration of a revenue stream that would allow taxpayer dollars to be used for abortions.  And, federal agencies will be taking action against parents protesting school board policies across the nation, based on an announcement by the Department of Justice, which, even though illegal "threats" are target, could have consequences for parents legally expressing their First Amendment rights.

Texas pro-life law blocked by federal judge and action was then put on hold by appeals court 

Disappointment turned to relief this past week, as a federal judge, responding to a lawsuit filed by the Biden Administration against the state of Texas, put the pro-life "heartbeat bill" on hold temporarily, only to have that action reversed by a higher court.

LifeNews.com reported that the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals "...blocked the lower court’s ruling. The administrative stay is not permanent, but the pro-life victory optimistically signals how the court may rule on the merits of the case."  The article quotes Texas Right to Life Director of Media and Communication Kimberlyn Schwartz, who told LifeNews: “This is an answered prayer. The Texas Heartbeat Act saves approximately 100 lives from abortion per day, and we’re grateful that this tremendous impact will continue. We expect the Biden administration to appeal to the Supreme Court of the U.S., and we are confident Texas will continue to defeat these attacks on our life-saving efforts.”

The article states:

Attorneys for Texas said Biden’s Department of Justice is being unfair by asking the court to block “absent third parties” from enforcing the law “without letting them be heard.”

The Texas law went into effect Sept. 1, prohibiting abortions once an unborn baby’s heartbeat is detectable, about six weeks of pregnancy. Thus far, the courts have refused to temporarily block the law, and as many as 3,000 unborn babies already have been spared from abortion.

Stream of federal funding of abortion opened by health agency

In other news related to abortion, the Department of Health and Human Services has opened up another stream through which taxpayer money can be used to fund the taking of unborn human life. The Christian Post reported that the Department issued a rule that, "...is slated to take effect Nov. 8 and will allow 'Title X providers to provide truly nondirective counseling and refer their patients for all services desired by the client, including abortion services.'"

This reverses the policy of the previous Administration, which was known as the "Protect Life Rule." As the Post notes: "Under the current rule, companies that wish to provide both abortions and Title X family planning services are required to establish a 'strict physical and financial separation between abortion-related activities and Title X project activities.'" 

Marjorie Dannenfelser, President of the Susan B. Anthony List, issued a statement, saying: "The strong majority of Americans oppose using taxpayer dollars to pay for abortion on demand. The Protect Life Rule respected their will, as well as the plain statutory language of Title X - yet from day one, Joe Biden and his administration have worked to pay back the abortion lobby that spent millions to elect them."

Parents exercising rights to speak up at school board become potential targets of government action 

Throughout our country, parents are showing up at school board meetings challenging different areas of curricula, including components of critical race theory, pornographic textbook material, and gender studies that embrace a transgender-friendly point of view.  And, now the Department of Justice has issued it intent to curb this behavior, according to a story published at The Post Millennial, which states:

After the National School Board Association called on the Biden administration to take action against unruly parents who keep showing up at school board meetings, the Department of Justice under Attorney General Merrick Garland has taken up the cause against parents. The NSBA encouraged the Biden administration to classify the actions of concerned parents as "the equivalent to a form of domestic terrorism and hate crimes."

The article goes on to say:

Garland's DOJ, which has stated that a primary concern is domestic extremism, wrote that the FBI and US Attorney's Offices will meet during the next month with law enforcement leaders across the country "to discuss strategies for addressing this disturbing trend."

The letter says, "Threats against public servants are not only illegal, they run counter to our nation’s core values," and states a task force comprised of representatives from a variety of federal agencies will be formed and a tip line will be established.

Certainly, threats against public officials should not be tolerated, if indeed there are legitimate threats. But, one should not interpret parents exercising their First Amendment rights and speaking up on issues, including issues that violate Scriptural principles, as being threatening behavior.

The 3 - October 3, 2021

This week's edition of The 3 has news of an agreement by the nation's highest court to hear a case involving a request for a Christian flag to be flown at a special occasion at City Hall.  Also, new YouTube guidelines may have some concerning implications for Christians who wish to share content consistent with their religious beliefs. And, the battle of mandated COVID-19 vaccines continues in the state of New York, as the governor could be characterized as using faith to promote the shots and punish those whose convictions have led them in a different direction. 

U.S. Supreme Court to hear case of Boston officials' refusal to fly Christian flag

For Constitution Day in 2017 in the city of Boston, the city chose not to allow a Christian flag to fly on one of its flagpoles at City Hall. The organization that asked to fly the flag, Camp Constitution, was filed by leader Harold Shurtleff, contending that, as The Christian Post noted, the city had granted permission for "other organizations to raise flags on one of the poles to celebrate their occasions."

Lower federal courts had ruled against Camp Constitution.  The article says that:

In February 2020, U.S. District Court Judge Denise Casper argued that the City Hall flagpoles constituted "government speech" and not private expression, which made flying a Christian flag an unlawful government endorsement of religion in violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

An appeals court upheld the lower court ruling, and the plaintiff, represented by Liberty Counsel, appealed to the Supreme Court, which agreed to hear the challenge.

Concern results from new YouTube policy on so-called "misinformation"

No doubt, individual Christians and Christian organizations have developed a concern about their content being removed from social media sites and even their channels or feeds being suspended or removed.  The latest step by such a platform is the action taken by YouTube recently, which announced it would be removing content regarding the COVID-19 vaccine that does not line up with its predetermined position on the issue, placing the platform in a position of being an expert on public health without earning a degree.

This raised concern by National Religious Broadcasters, representing Christian media around the world, which published an article including these words on its website:

Any corporate policy that aims to manipulate the thoughts or beliefs of users should alarm Christian communicators. While social media platforms are protected under the law in their ability to moderate user-generated content, attempting to regulate the feelings and reactions of users is insidious corporate paternalism and an infringement on personal sovereignty and freedom of thought.

NRB has initiated what was at the time called, Internet Freedom Watch a number of years ago. NRB CEO Troy Miller stated, “Content moderation policies that attempt to safeguard the public from having the ‘wrong thoughts’ are an assault on personal freedom and degrade the quality and diversity of the public conversation,” adding, “It’s not hard to see where this road leads for religious free speech.”

New York governor favors censorship, encourages churchgoers to get vaccine

But, the new governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, seems to have no problem with Internet censorship. A recent CBN.com article stated:

The Blaze reports Hochul wrote a letter to Facebook founder, chairman, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, in which she requested "information on any and all existing efforts to combat misinformation regarding abortion laws, procedures, and their availability."

She also pressed for Zuckerberg to, "Take additional action to curb the spread of this misinformation, as Facebook has with information related to COVID-19, vaccines, and voting rights."

She also does not favor the constitutional rights of health care workers to decline to take the COVID-19 vaccines. The article notes:

Meanwhile, Hochul said this week she does not believe health care workers in the Empire State should be permitted to forgo vaccination against COVID-19 via religious exemptions.

She made the comments in response to a court decision temporarily upholding the rights of some in the medical community who have refused the inoculation citing their religious beliefs, according to WAMC-FM.

Meanwhile, as The Christian Post reports, that ruling is in effect until October 12.  The governor also visited a large church in New York City and encouraged congregants to be "my apostles" to encourage others to receive the shot.  But, she apparently does not allow for people to disagree with her opinion.

The 3 - September 26, 2021

Morality in the educational system is front and center in this week's edition of The 3, featuring a skirmish at a high school football game in Tennessee, where parents and students decided to pray after the game in the face of a challenge to school faculty leading prayers.  Also, in Virginia and Ohio, there are charges that local school boards are promoting pornography in school curriculum. 

But first up, there is an egregious example of the neglect for the sanctity of human life out of the U.S. House of Representatives, which passed a bill that would allow abortion during the entirety of a pregnancy and prevent states from protecting life with legislation.

U.S. House narrowly passes bill allowing abortion throughout the country

The U.S. House has passed a dramatic new pro-abortion piece of legislation that would not only allow abortion during the entirety of a woman's pregnancy but also block pro-life laws passed by individual states.  According to LifeNews.com:

Pro-life leaders said the Abortion Without Limits Up to Birth Act is a more accurate name for the bill. The legislation would erase basically all restrictions on abortion and prevent states from enacting even modest protections for unborn babies. Limits on late-term abortions and bans on sex-selection abortions would be gone.

The legislation would get rid of laws that protect women and girls, too, including parental consent for minors and informed consent laws that ensure mothers receive basic facts about their unborn baby’s development before going through with an abortion.

The article quotes from pro-life champion lawmaker Chris Smith of New Jersey; it says: "He pointed to a 2021 Marist poll that found 65 percent of Americans support allowing states to enact restrictions on abortion – something the bill would stop them from doing."

Football team and parents lead prayer at TN football game

Football season has the potential to bring legal challenges regarding the permissibility of prayer at school events, and this year, a flashpoint has occurred in Tennessee, according to Faithwire, which reports that recently "...administrators with Putnam County Schools told staffers they would be barred from leading students in prayer in the future, a decision that came as a result of a letter from the group Americans United for Separation of Church and State, according to WZTV-TV."

But, parents were not deterred from stepping in to lead students in prayer. The Faithwire article said:

The district, for its part, acknowledged “the importance of prayer in the lives of our students, faculty, and staff members,” saying in a statement to the press that administrators “support the right of students to participate in and lead spontaneous prayers.”

After a game involving Upperman High, Bob Vick, described as "a graduate of a PCS school and a fan of the Upperman football team, posted a now-viral image of the demonstration." He wrote, “Satan’s power was defeated tonight, as the threat of legal action to forbid prayer after the game was overwhelmed by player lead prayer, supported by parents and fans in solidarity on Overall Field..."

Fighting back against porn in schools

Across America, parents have been showing up en masse to confront school boards on a variety of issues, from mask mandates to the teaching of critical race theory to inappropriate material being taught to students, as was the case in Fairfax County, Virginia, where a parent, Stacy Langton, spoke up; a report from The Daily Wire said:

A Virginia mom found that books graphically depicting pedophilia were in her child’s school as part of its commitment to diversity and inclusion — so she read from them, verbatim, to the school board.

The school board’s reaction was ironic: It silenced her, citing that there were children in the room.

And, in Hudson, Ohio, a mayor took the local school board to task for allowing the promotion of pornography in the local schools. The Akron Beacon Journal reported that:

Some Hudson City Council members want the mayor to apologize for calling on school board members to resign or potentially face criminal charges over mature content in a book at the high school.

Mayor Craig Shubert gave the resign-or-be-charged ultimatum to the Board of Education on Sept. 13 after multiple parents complained about some sex scene writing prompts contained in a book called "642 Things to Write About" provided to high school students taking a college credit course. The book has been removed from the course by school officials.

The head of the school board said the members did not intend to resign, and the mayor said he would not back down, even after being chided by the county's prosecutor, who said that the material was not "child pornography."

The 3 - September 19, 2021

This week's edition of The 3 highlights two examples of "cancel culture," with a pro-life organization's ads banned from a social media site and two flight attendants fired because they dared share their beliefs on an issue that disagreed with the company line.  Also, there is a case out of Texas in which the U.S. Supreme Court became involved, in which a convicted criminal's death was postponed because a requested religious accommodation was not granted. 

Pro-life organization's ad banned by Google

The pro-life ministry of Live Action, which was founded by Lila Rose, has long been known for its devotion to protecting the lives of the unborn.  One way, as highlighted by a Live Action News story, is to reverse the effect of the so-called "abortion pill."  As the news article related:

On May 10, 2021, Live Action placed strategic ads on Google that informed women of the possibility of reversing the abortion pill process, which involves treatment with a safe pregnancy hormone called progesterone, which has been safely used for decades as standard treatment to prevent miscarriages. The APR treatment’s goal is to outcompete the progesterone-blocking effects of mifepristone, also known as the abortion pill. The treatment has reportedly saved the lives of over 2,500 children and has a 68% success rate.

However, Google made the decision recently to pull the ads.  The story says:

On September 13, without warning, Google “disapproved” all of Live Action’s Abortion Pill Reversal ads. The ads had been approved by Google and running for over four months, spending over $170,000 and directing thousands to the abortion pill reversal hotline.

This was followed by a story described by Live Action as a "hit piece" on the Daily Beast website. 

The article goes on to say:

As Live Action founder and president Lila Rose notes, Google continues to run advertisements for the abortion pill. She noted on Twitter, “Meanwhile, Google is permitting abortion facilities to advertise next-day abortions & abortion via mail. This is a blatant, political double standard: Google is ok with ads promoting life-ending drugs, but not life-saving treatments. Where’s the “choice?” for women, @Google?”

Flight attendants claim they were fired for opposing Equality Act

Corporate advocacy for unbiblical positions seems to be a growing concern.  One such example involves two flight attendants for Alaska Airlines.  Seems the airline placed a statement supporting the Equality Act, which opens the doors to all sorts of special treatment for LGBTQ individuals at the expense of people who embrace deeply held religious beliefs. The airline also asked for comments, and a CBN.com story says that these flight attendants responded:

Flight attendant Lacey Smith posted a question, asking, "As a company, do you think it's possible to regulate morality?"

In the same forum, First Liberty's second client, who remains anonymous, asked, "Does Alaska support: endangering the Church, encouraging suppression of religious freedom, obliterating women's rights and parental rights? …." She then copied and posted information about the Equality Act that she received from the Heritage Foundation.

First Liberty says both clients were subsequently investigated, questioned by airline officials, and fired from their jobs.

The article says that the law firm First Liberty has filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, stating: "Alaska Airlines discriminated against them on the basis of religion, perpetuated a hostile work environment, failed to grant them a religious accommodation allowing them to express their opinions on the same basis as other protected classes, and retaliated against them." 

U.S. Supreme Court to review religious accommodation for death penalty inmates

While quite a bit of attention among members of the Christian community has been focused on the U.S. Supreme Court hearing a case soon that considers the ban on abortion after 15 weeks enacted by the state of Mississippi, it has been pointed out that there is a "religious freedom" case that bears watching.

FoxNews.com reports on a death row inmate in Texas, John Henry Ramirez, who requested a touch from a member of the clergy prior to his execution. The article reports that the attorney for the convicted murderer...

...had argued the Texas Department of Criminal Justice was violating the death row inmate’s First Amendment rights to practice his religion by denying his request to have his pastor touch him and vocalize prayers when he was executed. He called the ban on vocal prayer a spiritual "gag order."

In court documents, he had said, "It is hostile toward religion, denying religious exercise at the precise moment it is most needed: when someone is transitioning from this life to the next..."

The Supreme Court stayed the execution by lethal injection and said it would be receiving briefs in the case soon. The Fox story notes: 

In recent years, the Supreme Court has granted stays halting several executions in Texas and Alabama over the presence of clergy or spiritual advisers in the death chamber. The only execution stays the Supreme Court has granted in recent years have been related to issues of religious practice or discrimination.

The article says that:

Dana Moore, Ramirez’s spiritual adviser the last four years, said the request to let him touch Ramirez was about letting the inmate practice his Christian faith and treating him "with a certain amount of dignity."

Current Texas law allows a member of the clergy to be in the chamber, but physical contact and prayers are not allowed.  

The 3 - September 12, 2021

This week's edition of The 3 includes the recent announcement of a new faith advisory board for a former U.S. President, and the story of one of several former officials who were asked to resign their posts on behalf of U.S. service academies. Plus, a Satanic organization that uses abortion in its rituals has come out in opposition to the Texas Heartbeat Bill.

Former President assembles faith advisors

The former President of the United States, Donald Trump, had assembled a team of faith leaders during his campaign for the 2016 election, and kept a faith advisory committee active during his Presidency; a number of those members were evangelical Christian leaders.

Now, as WORLD Magazine reports, the President has assembled another group of faith leaders, called the National Faith Advisory Board. It is comprised of over 70 "executives," according to the article, which concludes by saying that at the end, "...meeting organizer David Kubal of Intercessors for America unmuted all the attendees’ microphones and everyone prayed out loud...Kubal urged attendees to return weekly for more prayer."

On Saturday, a video with comments from Mr. Trump was shown at the "Let Us Worship" event on the National Mall in Washington.  His representative, Liz Harrington, related some of the comments on Twitter, including:

"I want to thank Let Us Worship for calling Americans to 21 days of prayer in the coming weeks. America is a Nation strengthened and sustained by God and the prayers of all His children."

Harrington retweeted Natalie Harp of One America News, who tweeted out this excerpt:

“Your faith is a force that our enemies can never extinguish. Your love of God, Family, and Country is more powerful than any adversary’s hatred, or malice, or scorn.”

Former OMB director subjected to religious questioning in Senate hearing asked to resign from military board

Does the name Russell Vought ring a bell?  He was the former Director of the Office of Management and Budget under the Trump Administration.  During his confirmation hearing for the role of Deputy OMB Director, according to a Family Research Council press release, Vought's religious beliefs were questioned by Senator Bernie Sanders.  The release quotes FRC President Tony Perkins:

"It was a shocking moment to watch a United States Senator declare that holding to a central tenet of Christianity that Jesus is the only way of salvation is enough to render a well-qualified nominee unfit for public service. Vought's biblical view of salvation is no different than what Billy Graham preached for more than six decades.

"Thankfully, 49 senators and Vice President Pence in his tie breaking vote sent a message that public servants can express their biblical views on salvation without fear of being held to an unconstitutional religious test.

Vought is back in the news now, as one of over a dozen former Trump officials who were asked to resign from positions on the boards of military academies, according to Politico, which reported:

On Wednesday, Cathy Russell, the director of the White House’s Presidential Personnel Office, sent letters to 18 individuals on three different boards, asking for them to resign. The list includes the Board of Visitors to the Air Force Academy, Military Academy and the Naval Academy, the White House said.

In one letter to Russell Vought, the former director of the Office of Management and Budget in the Trump administration, Russell advised him that he’d be fired from his post on the Naval Academy’s board of visitors unless he chose to resign.

The article goes on to say: "Vought, who earlier this year founded the Center for Renewing America, tweeted out his refusal to comply. 'No,' he responded. 'It’s a three year term.'  Other former officials who received similar letters include H.R. McMaster, Jack Keane, Kellyanne Conway and Sean Spicer. 

Independent Women's Forum quoted Meaghan Mobbs, who was likewise asked to resign; she said, "When I was first appointed to the board, there were four Obama appointee holdovers that were there serving out their three-year terms. I was graciously welcomed. I was treated with dignity and respect. That type of non-partisan engagement is exactly what we need in America right now." 

Satanic church protests new TX abortion law

The Texas bill protecting life in the womb once a heartbeat is detected is intended to save lives, but it has already generated its share of controversy.  It has even brought a negative response from The Satanic Temple, according to CBN News, which reported:

The TST argues the law imposes an "undue burden" on any of its members to undergo its "satanic abortion ritual."

"The Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act (TRFRA) provides a mechanism to seek an exemption from any law that restricts the free exercise of religion," the organization posted in a statement to its website. "Because S.B. 8 imposes an undue burden on the ability of TST members to undergo the Satanic Abortion Ritual, the first step in defending the rights of its members is to seek an exemption under TRFRA. If the state declines to provide such an exemption, TST can then seek judicial relief from the law."

The article notes that, "TST claims their abortion ritual as practiced by its members is exempt from the existing abortion regulations on the basis of religious liberty." They cite the 2014 Hobby Lobby decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. CBN states, "TST says all abortions by its members are religious acts of Satanism and protected under the ruling."

The 3 - September 5, 2021

In this week's edition of The 3, highlighting three significant stories of relevance to the Christian community, pro-life people and groups across America are celebrating the Texas law banning abortion after a heartbeat is detected, which was allowed by the U.S. Supreme Court to be implemented this past week.   And, the southern California church pastored by John MacArthur received financial compensation from county and state officials after the church faced opposition for its rejection of COVID protocols and was open for a number of months during the pandemic.  And, two teachers in Virginia would would not call students by pronouns not corresponding to their biological gender are seeking relief in the court system in the state; one recently received a positive ruling from the VA Supreme Court. 

Texas abortion law goes into effect; SCOTUS rejects appeal

As planned, the bill passed by the Texas Legislature that would prevent abortion from the moment that a heartbeat can be detected in an unborn child, somewhere around 6 weeks' gestation, went into effect on September 1, despite a last-ditch effort by abortion advocates to have the U.S. Supreme Court prevent its implementation.

A FoxNews.com story featured comments from both sides of the debate. Jeanne Mancini, President of March for Life, stated: "The law currently in effect in Texas highlights the humanity of children in the womb who have a detectable heartbeat by six weeks of development," adding, "States have the right to act on what science and ethics clearly tell us, which is that these children have their whole life ahead of them and deserve our protection. Pro-life legislators in Texas and Governor Abbott deserve credit for their efforts to defend vulnerable human life."

Opponents of the bill swung into action. LifeSiteNews.com reported that:

Web domain hosting giant GoDaddy is deplatforming a website run by Texas Right to Life through which people can submit tips about violations of the Lone Star State’s robust new pro-life law that protects babies with beating hearts from being aborted.

A GoDaddy spokesman said in an email to the New York Times and The Verge, “We have informed prolifewhistleblower.com they have 24 hours to move to another provider for violating our terms of service.”

And, President Biden, who has experienced setbacks at the high court due to actions the court has found to be unconstitutional, has unleashed Justice Department to try to blunt or shut down the law, according to LifeSiteNews.com, which reports that: 

During a press conference at the White House, Biden noted that he has asked his Justice Department to investigate whether the federal government can restrict a provision in Texas’ new fetal heartbeat law that allows private citizens to sue anyone who facilitates an abortion after six weeks of pregnancy.

The President, who had previously said the Texas law was an “unprecedented assault on a woman’s constitutional rights under Roe v. Wade...," also noted, “I respect those who believe life begins at the moment of conception,” adding, “I don’t agree, but I respect that. I’m not going to impose that on people.”

MacArthur's church to receive $800,000 payment over COVID debate

The congregation of Grace Community Church in southern California, pastored by John MacArthur, who is heard weekdays at 1:30pm on Faith Radio, believing the state's restrictions on public gatherings due to COVID were unconstitutional, had met for several months during the pandemic, which placed the church at odds with public health officials. ReligionNews.com reported that the church's actions were indeed allowable under a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in February. The article said that Los Angeles County and the state of California would each be paying the church $400,000, and related:

This agreement, county officials said, was reached in the context of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in February that told California it couldn’t enforce a ban on indoor worship because of the coronavirus pandemic. LA County modified its health order and lifted the indoor worship ban after the ruling.

The story, released last week, stated: 

MacArthur on Sunday said the settlement money would go to the Thomas More Society, which represented the church in this court case.

“Nothing will come to us except the affirmation that the Lord preserved and protected us through this,” MacArthur said.

Virginia Supreme Court sides with teacher who stood against transgender pronouns, another case on the way

Teachers who have taken a stand against calling students by pronouns based on their so-called "gender identity," rather than their biology, are now working through the court system in Virginia.

Tanner Cross of Loudoun County received a major victory from the Virginia Supreme Court, according to the Alliance Defending Freedom, which is representing him.  The ADF website reports that: 

The Virginia Supreme Court issued an order Monday that affirms a lower court’s decision to temporarily reinstate Leesburg Elementary School physical education teacher Tanner Cross after Loudoun County Public Schools suspended him for voicing objections to a proposed policy during the public comment period of a school board meeting. The lower court ruled that the school district’s actions were likely unconstitutional, and the state high court agreed.

ADF has added two other teachers as plaintiffs in their challenge to the policy, which was approved by the local school board.

Meanwhile, a case involving a teacher in the County of King William, Peter Vlaming will be heading to the state's Supreme Court after his case was dismissed by a lower court. Alliance Defending Freedom reports that: 

The West Point School Board fired Peter Vlaming, who taught French in the district for seven years, after he stated he couldn’t in good conscience comply with the superintendent’s order to refer to a female student as a male. Vlaming consistently used the student’s preferred name instead of the student’s given name, and although he attempted to avoid the use of any pronouns in an effort to accommodate the student, he was nonetheless directed to cease “avoiding the use of male pronouns” to refer to the student, even when the student wasn’t present.

The 3 - August 29, 2021

This week's edition of The 3 reminds of persecution - and prosecution - of pro-life individuals in the United States and religious persecution in China.  In between, there's an update on how Christians and Christian groups are involved in helping people escape from Afghanistan.

Court victory for pro-life protestors outside Brooklyn abortion clinic

One could call activity in front of an abortion clinic a "protest" because of what goes on inside, but you could also use the term, "sidewalk counseling," because you will find people who stand in front of clinics have also been known to compassionately share information with women who are there in order to get an abortion.

At a facility in Brooklyn in New York City, people have been doing just that, according to CBNNews.com, which stated:

Reuters reports members of Brooklyn's Church@TheRock, were accused by the state of violating laws meant to ensure patients' access to abortion clinics without interference or harassment.

The Thomas More Society, representing the ten church members and their pastor, Rev. Kenneth Griepp, said their clients only offered information on life-affirming alternatives to abortion-bound women which is their right under the First Amendment.

And, just last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld the pro-lifers right to stand in front of the clinic and to, as the article says, "peacefully protest." 

Thomas More Senior Counsel Stephen Crampton characterized the prosecution as "about politics," stating, "The New York Attorney General has wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money pursuing bogus claims and persecuting law-abiding Christians. The real crime here is not the actions of the defendants, but the actions of the Attorney General in ever filing this case."

Christian groups involved in evacuating people from Afghanistan

While it seems like a significant number of Americans and sympathetic Afghan partners apparently remain trapped in Afghanistan ahead of the Tuesday deadline for withdrawal set by the Taliban, Christian groups and groups with Christian participation are going in to extract those in need.

FoxNews.com reported on the activities of recent Meeting House guest Victor Marx and his ministry,  All Things Possible, which was successful in getting a family of eight converts from Islam to Christianity out of the country. He said, "I'm thankful for everyone involved," adding, "We may be running point on some operations, but it's a huge network and it's a lot of people that care to get these people out." He also stated, "We were able to be part of a mission that got the children safe, got the moms freed, put them together, and then they came to our safe house in Iraq..." Fox adds:

In Afghanistan, All Things Possible is still working to evacuate more people – including a group of 300 orphans that made it all the way into the Hamid Karzai International Airport earlier this week but remains trapped in Kabul after the plane scheduled to carry them out wasn’t able to land.

Another group of refugees attempted to reach the airport and ATP warmed them about the high-risk situation outside one of the airport’s gates. They stopped about 300 meters away before the bombs went off.

In total, Marx and a partner group, Save Our Allies, have helped some 5,000 people escape.

One of the partners in Save our Allies is the Mighty Oaks Foundation, headed by another former Meeting House guest, Chad Robichaux. Including refugees, the group has extracted more than 12,000 people.

Samaritan's Purse reports on its website:

These Islamic extremists are poised to force Afghanistan back into a dark and brutal state where Christians, anyone who associated with Americans, women, and others face severe persecution and death. Some of our brothers and sisters in Christ are running from place to place, trying to stay safe.

Samaritan’s Purse has been partnering with organizations on the ground to get men, women, and children out of this horrific situation. We have been able to sponsor flights that have brought hundreds to safety—one of our partners made three trips that brought out 700 people in one day! We have also supported the evacuation of 80 missionary families via land routes.

And, Free Burma Rangers reports on its Facebook page: 

Right now we are praying for the Afghans and we are coordinating with like-minded friends to get people out and assistance in. Thank you for all your prayers and your help in this as well as our ongoing missions to the people of Burma, Iraq and Syria. I am including some pictures of our family in Afghanistan a few years ago when we were visiting friends there. We love the Afghan people and are helping and will stand with them as God leads us.

The movie spotlighting the work of that organization in Burma, or Myanmar, and beyond, will be in theaters on September 13, including the AMC Festival Plaza in Montgomery.

More trouble for Chinese church

While we remember the Christians who are in danger in Afghanistan, we also continue to focus on the persecution of the Church in China.  The government there has targeted a congregation called Early Rain in Chengdu; International Christian Concern reports on its website that it "has learned that on August 22, the heavily persecuted house church, Early Rain Covenant Church (ERCC), was once again violently raided by the local authorities in Chengdu, China. Twenty-eight members from a small group were taken away during a worship service." The article goes on to say: "An ERCC member told ICC that many people were beaten by the police in detention. When the children were rowdy, the police officers threatened to hit them on their heads."  The pastor who brought the message that day and his brother were placed in "administrative detention" for 14 days.

The Evangelical Focus website shared that 10 children were among those detained. It also shared this information:

Children ages 6 - 14 years of age are requires by the Chinese government to join a group called Young Pioneers of China, which is sponsored by the Communist Youth League.

China Aid President Bob Fu explains that "no one under the age of 18 is allowed in a church building, or they will face serious consequences. In every school, children are not allowed to get any religious education or participate in religious activities".

This is not the first skirmish with Early Rain, according to Evangelical Focus; it states:

Chinese authorities had already shuttered the 5,000-member church ERCC over two years ago. They broke down the doors of church members’ and leaders’ homes, and arrested more than 100 people, including main pastor Wang Yi and other leaders.

Wang was later sentenced to nine years in prison on charges of subversion of power and illegal business operations.

The ICC website reports:

Gina Goh, ICC’s Regional Manager for Southeast Asia, said, “The latest raid against ERCC, though nothing novel, shows a worrying trend that house churches are frequently subjected to harassment like this in the name of ‘law enforcement,’ where legally flawed Revised Regulations on Religious Affairs have been employed by Beijing to crack down on house churches around the country. The Chinese Communist Party’s constant fear of unregistered churches is both pathetic and preposterous, as it underscores President Xi’s insecurity toward any critical mass. There is absolutely no regard for religious freedom.”

The 3 - August 22, 2021

We live in a world that is full of conflict, and this week's edition of The 3 reminds us of turbulent circumstances that Christians face.  In Afghanistan, the Taliban is ramping up its mistreatment of Christians as it spreads its territory across that nation.  In the state of Virginia, Christian teachers are standing up a against a new policy that grants special privileges to LGBTQ students.  And, a major retailer has just been fined thousands of dollars in a case involving an employee who demanded that he be allowed to use the women's restroom at a store location.

Christians' lives in danger under Afghanistan Taliban rule

We continue to observe the situation halfway around the world, as the United States and other nations struggle to extract their citizens out of the quagmire known as Afghanistan.  And, an already tenuous situation for Afghani Christians has intensified in this latest round of violence

The Christian Post reports that Frontier Alliance International shared a statement sent to the organization by an underground church leader in the country. It says: “The Taliban has a hit list of known Christians they are targeting to pursue and kill. The U.S. Embassy is defunct and there is no longer a safe place for believers to take refuge," adding, “All borders to neighboring countries are closed and all flights to and from have been halted, with the exception of private planes. People are fleeing into the mountains looking for asylum. They are fully reliant on God, who is the only One who can and will protect them.”

Also, the statement said, "...the Taliban are going door-to-door taking women and children."

The article also quoted from SAT-7 President, Rex Rogers, who stated, “We’re hearing from reliable sources that the Taliban demand people’s phones, and if they find a downloaded Bible on your device, they will kill you immediately..." He went on to say, "It’s incredibly dangerous right now for Afghans to have anything Christian on their phones. The Taliban have spies and informants everywhere."

The Christian Post also noted that:

...World Evangelical Alliance Secretary General Bishop Thomas Schirrmacher stressed that “we should not pretend as if everything was well in Afghanistan before the Taliban taking control of the country.” Schirrmacher asserted that because “the constitution of 2004 stated that Afghanistan is an Islamic republic with Islam as its state religion,” religious minorities never fully received equal rights in the country.

Lawsuit against VA county over new LGBTQ-friendly regulations expands

Loudoun County, Virginia, to a certain extent, has become "ground zero" regarding the attempt to inject ideology into the public schools that has motivated parents and teachers to stand up and speak up. WUSA Television reported that new regulations friendly to transgender students, which had already resulted in a teacher who spoke up against the policy being suspended temporarily, also yielded a resignation from another teacher. Laura Morris announced, "School board, I quit. I quit your policies. I quit your trainings and I quit being a cog in a machine that tells me to push highly politicized agendas on our most vulnerable constituents -- the children..."

The board passed the new policies by a 7-2 vote; it also discussed mask mandates and critical race theory at the meeting.

Now, Alliance Defending Freedom reports on the addition of new plaintiffs to a lawsuit that it had filed on behalf of the previously suspended teacher, Tanner Cross. The teachers are Monica Gill and Kim Wright; ADF has now expanded the suit to challenge the new policy; the site relates:

The amended complaint filed with the Loudoun County Circuit Court in Cross v. Loudoun County School Board, pending the court’s approval, explains that if Gill, Wright, and Cross were to comply with the school board’s demands, “they would be forced to communicate a message they believe is false—that gender identity, rather than biological reality, fundamentally shapes and defines who we truly are as humans, that our sex can change, and that a woman who identifies as a man really is a man, and vice versa. But if they refer to students based on their biological sex, they communicate the views they actually believe—that our sex shapes who we are as humans, that this sex is fixed in each person, and that it cannot be changed, regardless of our feelings or desires.”

Court rules against Hobby Lobby in transgender bathroom case

Meanwhile, a state appeals court in Illinois has fined craft store chain Hobby Lobby in excess of $200,000 in a case in which an employee identifying as a gender other than his biological one claims he was not able to use the women's restroom at the store at which he was employed.

CBN.com stated:

Bloomberg reports the Second District Appellate Court ruled the retailer violated the Illinois Human Rights Act by not allowing Meggan Sommerville, a biological man, to use the women's restroom at the East Aurora store where Sommerville is employed.

The court ignored biology and plainly stated that Sommerville "is female." The article says:

Sommerville, who still works for the retailer, filed a complaint with the Illinois Human Rights Commission eight years ago after being disciplined for using the women's restroom. The store management told the transgender employee to use the unisex bathroom instead.

The commission later ruled the company's policy was against state law, awarding Sommerville $220,000 for emotional distress and attorney's fees in 2019.

That fine was upheld by the state appeals court.  

Meanwhile, the Montgomery City Council defeated a proposal to implement a so-called "non-discrimination" ordinance, which grants special rights based on sexual orientation and gender identity.  For the past decade or so, the city has experienced dynamic economic growth, yet now there seems to a belief that not endorsing homosexuality and transgenderism, the city is no longer deserving of future growth.  That's the essence of a Montgomery Advertiser article about the 5-4 vote defeating the ordinance, which would provide for a 10-member commission to provide special protection for homosexuals and transgender individuals, but apparently not for people of faith who believe that this behavior is contradictory to Scripture. This seems to be a city-level attempt to enact the same agenda that is being tried on the Federal level with the so-called "Equality Act," which tramples on religious freedom and introduces harmful policies that ignore science and perpetrate a radical LGBTQ agenda.  

The 3 - August 8, 2021

This week's edition of The 3, with three relevant stories to the Christian community, includes the latest from a Christian college that received a negative court ruling for enforcing its own employment policy, in the case of a professorial candidate who admitted that she disagreed with some of the faith beliefs of the college.  Also, there were a number of Christian Olympians who have given glory to God for their athletic achievements. And, it's up to two media hosts who have been suspended by Twitter for calling biological males who identify as women biological males.

Massachusetts college asks SCOTUS to uphold employment policy

Gordon College is located in Massachusetts, near Boston. According to the Alliance Defending Freedom website, "the college requires students and faculty alike to sign a statement of faith and agree to abide by biblical standards of living. Professors are the primary means through whom Gordon teaches the faith to its students, and those professors must integrate Christian teaching into every academic discipline."

In 2016, Margaret DeWeese-Boyd, who was an associate professor at the time, applied for a full professorship and was denied "because her performance fell short of the college’s expectations for faculty scholarship and institutional service."  She also said that she disagreed with some of the college's beliefs.  She sued, and according to ADF:

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court concluded that Gordon College can indeed require her, as with other Gordon professors, to be a genuine Christian teacher and scholar, yet the court concluded that it was not necessary for her position to perform functions that are sufficiently religious, in the court’s view, and ruled in her favor. It did so even though Gordon’s professors are required to train their students in the Christian faith, and despite clear precedent from the U.S. Supreme Court in Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru and Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church & School v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that such a narrow definition of an employee’s “ministerial functions” at a religious educational institution is unconstitutional.

I checked - the Our Lady of Guadalupe School decision was just handed down last summer. Gordon College recently announced it would be seeking relief from the high court. 

Christian Olympians testify to faith in Christ

The Tokyo Olympics have concluded and a number of the world's best athletes compete in the Games, which were delayed by a year due to COVID.  There are a number of athletes who are known to be Christians, and they have handled their athletic achievement by giving testimony to the One who had gifted them.

Some of the highlights include:

Allyson Felix, whose bronze medal on Saturday gave her the title, according to Sports Spectrum, of "the most decorated female Olympian ever."  Her 10 medals is the most for any track-and-field Olympic competitor, male or female.  The article about her said, "The bronze, to go with six previous golds and three silvers, gave her 10 Olympic medals, surpassing Jamaica’s Merlene Ottey, who won three silvers and six bronzes from 1980 to 2000." Before the Games, Felix wrote on Instagram: “It might sound cliche, but getting to that starting line is an incredible victory for me,” adding, “I’ve experienced the hardest years of my life in this journey and by God’s grace I’m here. With a heart full of gratitude I’m taking space to remember all it took to get here.

I mentioned gold medalist Sydney McGlaughlin last week; Sports Spectrum reports that she wrote on Instagram:

“Let me start off by saying, what and honor it is to be able to represent not only my country, but also the kingdom of God,” she wrote. “What I have in Christ is far greater than what I have or don’t have in life. I pray my journey may be a clear depiction of submission and obedience to God. Even when it doesn’t make sense, even when it doesn’t seem possible. He will make a way out of no way. Not for my own gratification, but for His glory.

On a Front Room original commentary last week, I featured U.S. runner Keni Harrison and swimmer Caeleb Dressell.  Here's an excerpt:

...we shouldn't allow the "distractions" to keep us from rejoicing with athletes who profess Christ who have exhibited and attained incredible achievement.

One example is U.S. runner Keni Harrison, who won the silver medal in the 100-meter hurdles. A Christian Headlines article reports:

After the race, Harrison ran around the track draped in an American flag, wearing a big smile. Despite owning multiple medals in other world races – including the world record at 12.21 seconds – it was her first Olympic medal.

"I learn from my mistakes," she told NBC in a post-race interview. "For this to be my first Olympics and to come here on this world stage, and represent my country to the best of my ability – all the glory goes to God just to have this opportunity. … Just to get a silver medal at this stage, it's amazing."

Her story includes being adopted and surviving a health scare early in life.

Then, there's swimmer Caeleb Dressel, who garnered five gold medals at this year's Olympics. CBN.com relates that:

A large eagle tattoo covers the top of his left shoulder, which represents one of his favorite Bible verses, Isaiah 40:31, which says, "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

"It's the reason I'm in the sport — not just to go fast times, but to inspire people and show them where I find my happiness with what God's given me," Dressel said after the 2015 U.S. Nationals, via the Baptist Standard.

Other professing Christian athletes featured over the past few weeks by SportsSpectrum.com include:

Jrue Holliday, who won Olympic gold with the men's basketball team after winning the NBA Championship with the Milwaukee Bucks.

U.S. wrestler Kyle Snyder, who won silver.

And, the website profiled the "Christian core" of the silver medal-winning U.S. softball team, stating: "The U.S. squad is led by a strong core of outspoken Christians, including two of its standout performers in the gold-medal game: pitcher Cat Osterman and outfielder Janie Reed."

"Misgendering" will yield social media penalty

Earlier this year, the Twitter account from The Daily Citizen, a website of Focus on the Family, was suspended because it issued this tweet: “On Tuesday, President-elect Joe Biden announced that he had chosen Dr. Rachel Levine to serve as Assistant Secretary for Health at the Department of HHS. Dr. Levine is a transgender woman, that is, a man who believes he is a woman.”

On The Meeting House, I have talked about Christians being banned from social media, and this is one example.  It seems that the subject matter - of men identifying as women - is too much for the overlords of the Twitterverse.  Just last week, a well-known commentator and podcast host, who is a Christian and has appeared at the last two National Religious Broadcasters conventions, Allie Beth Stuckey, found herself in what she calls "Twitter jail."

CBNNews.com reported that: 

Stuckey’s offense was an Aug. 2 tweet in which she commented on New Zealand Olympic weightlifter Laurel Hubbard, a biological male who identifies and competed in the Tokyo Games as a female. In the offending tweet, the “Relatable” host referred to Hubbard using male pronouns.

Upon her return, she tweeted out, according to the article:

"Remember, you can threaten, dox, harass, post porn, spread Chinese propaganda and tweet as a member of a terrorist regime here on Twitter, but you cannot call a man, “he,” because that is 'promoting violence.'”

The article says that she told Faithwire in an e-mail: “As a Christian, I know two things to be true...One, all people are made in God’s image, no matter their stated identity and, therefore, have immense value and, two, men are men and women are women.”

Well, it's happened again - to a professing Christian talk show host based in Atlanta, Erick Erickson. Not the Bee reported: 

All he said was "Laurel Hubbard is a man even if Twitter doesn't like it." He had to delete the tweet to even regain access to his account and he's banned from tweeting to his 200K followers for 12 hours.

As, Newsbusters.org related, Erickson was actually tweeting on Stuckey's suspension.  The article quotes Erickson: 

“Well, it seems post-modernity has caught up to me. Twitter has suspended me for a statement of fact that Twitter’s woke employees do not like,” Erickson said. “In defending Allie Beth Stuckey, who was previously suspended from Twitter for a statement of truth, I reiterated that, in fact, the New Zealand transgender weight lifter is a man.”

“Twitter has suspended me for stating the truth,” he added.

The 3 - August 1, 2021

This week's edition of The 3, featuring three relevant stories to the Christian community, highlights recent action in Congress, where legislation has progressed that would authorize taxpayer funding of abortion.  Meanwhile, a church in Washington state has received court relief from having to provide abortion in its health care plan.  Plus, a web designer in Colorado has been denied in her quest to be exempted from a law which could force her to display messages that violate her religious beliefs.

U.S. House not allowed to vote on taxpayer funding of abortion, House votes to fund abortion in other countries

For some 45 years, year after year, on a bi-partisan basis, members of Congress would agree not to allow taxpayer funding of abortion.  But no more, apparently.  According to LifeNews.com, for the 52nd time just over the previous month alone, the request to vote on what is known as the Hyde Amendment was turned back by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her allies. 

The bill in question would, according to the story, "would make the Hyde Amendment permanent law and protect taxpayers from being forced to fund the killing of unborn babies in abortions." The article goes on to say:

The Hyde Amendment, which has strong public support, prohibits taxpayer funding for elective abortions in Medicaid and other federal programs. Since 1976, it has saved an estimated 2.4 million babies’ lives, including about 60,000 each year, according to the Charlotte Lozier Institute.

And, the story relates that the budget submitted by the President for 2022 excludes the Hyde Amendment.  

Furthermore, there are members of Congress who want you to fund abortions overseas.  Again, from LifeNews.com, a State Department funding bill passed the House last week that "removes or weakens four longstanding pro-life protections, including the Helms Amendment, which prevents taxpayer funding from being used to fund abortion overseas."

As LifeNews pointed out, John McCormack of National Review indicated that it would still take 60 votes in the Senate to move forward legislation that would not include the Hyde or Helms Amendment.

Federal appeals court says a church does not have to include abortion in health insurance coverage

A church in Washington state has been released by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from having to fund abortion in its health insurance plans, according to the Alliance Defending Freedom website, which states:

The 9th Circuit recognized that Cedar Park Church, represented by Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys, suffered an injury after Washington state Senate Bill 6219 was signed into law in March 2018. The law requires Cedar Park to provide coverage for abortion if the church also offers maternity care coverage to its employees or face fines and criminal penalties, including imprisonment.

With this affirmation in hand, the church and its attorneys now return to district court; the ADF site states that the appeals court said that the "lower court was wrong to dismiss the church’s free-exercise claim." ADF Senior Counsel and Vice President of Appellate Advocacy John Bursch said, “Today’s decision is a big step forward in preventing the government from targeting churches and we look forward to continue challenging this law at the district court.”

Web designer cannot refuse to display pro-gay messages, federal appeals court says

Lorie Smith is a web designer in Colorado, who owns 303 Creative. She believed that the so-called Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act could force her to display messages that violate her deeply held beliefs, so she, aided by Alliance Defending Freedom, filed a lawsuit, seeking a religious exemption from the Act.  Christian Today stated that:

303 Creative had wanted to put a notice on its website stating that it would not make websites for same-sex weddings, but the court concluded this would amount to "unlawful discrimination", and was not covered by free speech protections in the First Amendment.

The ruling was handed down by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, according to ADF, 
which quoted the Chief of the 10th Circuit Timothy Tymkovich, who wrote, “The Constitution neither forces Ms. Smith to compromise her beliefs nor condones the government doing so,” adding, “In fact, this case illustrates exactly why we have a First Amendment. Properly applied, the Constitution protects Ms. Smith from the government telling her what to say or do..."

Christian Today quoted from Judge Mary Beck Briscoe, who said, "Colorado has a compelling interest in protecting both the dignity interests of members of marginalized groups and their material interests in accessing the commercial marketplace."