The 3 - February 22, 2015

In this week's edition of The 3, my week-in-review feature, there is news emerging out of Iran, where a pastor was released and another was able to visit for an extended period of time and worship with his father.  Also, a Washington florist has been found to have violated state law by refusing to provide flowers for a same-sex wedding ceremony and faces the possibility of personal money being used to pay the penalty.  In other religious freedom news, the former Atlanta fire chief has filed a lawsuit against the city.  And, 21 Egyptian Christians lost their lives recently, and a group of church leaders has announced a multi-faceted response.

3 - Iranian house church pastor released; Pastor Saeed worships in prison

An Iranian Christian pastor, considered to be a leader in Iran's house church movement, has been released from prison, according to a report on the Christian Today website, which says that Pastor Rasoul Abdollahi was first arrested in December of 2010 as part of a widespread crackdown on Christian activity.  He was detained and interrogated for more than two months before being released on bail.

He was then tried in court and imprisoned in December of 2013. But he has now been pardoned and released, and will be able to return to his wife and children.

A source, who must remain anonymous for security reasons, told Christian Today that Iran's judiciary seems to be encouraging Christians that are arrested to leave the country before standing trial.

Meanwhile, an Iranian-American pastor, Saeed Abedini, remains in prison in Iran.

The ChristianHeadlines.com website reports that Pastor Saeed was permitted to visit with his father in prison for an extended amount of time this week, a rare blessing for the pastor who has been imprisoned for his Christian faith for over two years.  Abedini’s wife Naghmeh wrote on her Facebook page that the father and son were able to talk, pray and worship God.

Quoting a Charisma News story, the article said that prison guards watched the visit, but did not force Abedini and his father to end the time of fellowship.  Naghmeh related that, "They were allowing them to pray and worship together,” adding, "The normal 20-minute visit turned into 40 minutes, which turned into an hour, which turned into a few hours. Saeed and his father were shocked the amount of time that they were allowed. The presence of the Lord was so strong that the guards did not want to intervene and end the visit! Praise the Lord!"
2 - Religious freedom watch: Washington florist found guilty of discrimination, Atlanta fire chief files lawsuit against city

Baronelle Stutzman, the florist in Washington state who declined to provide flowers for a wedding ceremony for a same-sex couple, was found to have violated state law, and she must provide must provide full support for wedding ceremonies that are contrary to her faith, according to the Alliance Defending Freedom Media website. 

After the ruling, according to ADF, Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who had contended that Stutzman violated the state’s Law Against Discrimination and its Consumer Protection Act for acting consistent with her Christian faith, made an offer to Stutzman that he would drop his lawsuit if she would pay $2,001 and agree to give up her religious freedom.

She sent a letter to the Attorney General Bob Ferguson on Friday to decline the settlement offer.  In it, she said:

Your offer reveals that you don’t really understand me or what this conflict is all about.... It’s about freedom, not money. I certainly don’t relish the idea of losing my business, my home, and everything else that your lawsuit threatens to take from my family, but my freedom to honor God in doing what I do best is more important…. You chose to attack my faith and pursue this not simply as a matter of law, but to threaten my very means of working, eating, and having a home. If you are serious about clarifying the law, then I urge you to drop your claims against my home, business, and other assets….

The Alliance Defending Freedom had reported that the court had ruled recently that both the state and the same-sex couple, who each filed lawsuits against her, may collect damages and attorneys’ fees not only from her business, but from Stutzman personally. That means the 70-year-old grandmother may not only lose her business, but also her home and savings because she lives her life and operates her business according to her beliefs.
Also, according to the Alliance Defending Freedom Media site, ADF attorneys filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against the city and mayor of Atlanta for their termination of Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran because of his Christian faith and beliefs. At a news conference Wednesday, ADF and Cochran announced the lawsuit, which comes on the heels of an administrative complaint filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission last month.

ADF Senior Counsel David Cortman is quoted as saying that, “Americans are guaranteed the freedom to live without fear of being fired because of their beliefs and thoughts...The city of Atlanta is not above the Constitution and federal law. In America, a religious or ideological test cannot be used to fire a public servant.”

The website reported that Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed had first suspended Cochran for 30 days and announced that he would have to complete “sensitivity training” after activists who don’t agree with the fire chief’s Christian views on sex complained about a men’s devotional book Cochran had written on his personal time.   Biblical sexual morality is mentioned only briefly in the 162-page book.  ADF reported that after an investigation that included interviews with employees found Cochran did not discriminate against anyone, the mayor fired him anyway – citing as his basis, ironically, the need to tolerate diverse views.

1 - More ISIS violence: Egyptian Christians beheaded by ISIS, victims' remembered in prayer 

There has been swift and passionate response to the video released by the Islamic terror group showing the murder of the 21 Egyptian Christians.  Baptist Press, in an article on a response by Christian leaders to the attack, said that the text that accompanied the ISIS video is addressed to "The people of the cross, followers of the hostile Egyptian church," according to news reports. It quotes a Wall Street Journal report that the terrorists in the video are identified with a Libyan group that allied itself with the Islamic State last year.

A coalition of Christian leaders representing a variety of ministries and denominations issued a call for a moment of silence on Sunday, February 22, followed by prayer for the families of the 21 Egyptians who lost their lives in the brutal attack.

The coalition includes Russell Moore of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, Mathew Staver, of the Liberty University School of Law; Samuel Rodriguez of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership and Conference; television producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey; James Robison of LIFE Outreach International; Doug Beacham of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church; and Glenn Burris of the Foursquare Church.

The Baptist Press piece reports that in addition to calling for prayer, the coalition is urging President Obama and Congress to do more in addressing the persecution of Christians by ISIS and other Islamic extremists. Additionally, the Christian leaders are calling the United Nations to convene a summit on Christian persecution around the world, according to a press release from A. Larry Ross Communications.

Rodriguez said that as Christians, "We stand convicted and convinced that terror and intolerance cannot, and will not, extinguish the light of God's grace, truth and love," adding, "We hope leaders around the world will join us in honoring those who have lost their lives, praying for those suffering and repudiating all acts of terror."

More information is available at 21martyrs.com.

The 3 - February 15, 2015

In this week's edition of The 3, my week-in-review feature, we recognize that a young lady has lost her life while being held captive by the radical terror group, ISIS, a young lady whose faith in God apparently sustained her during her ordeal.  Also, a jury has found that there was no fraud in the petition drive to get that so-called equal rights ordinance on the ballot in Houston, but there were some improprieties discovered.  And, the top story involves the implementation of so-called "same-sex marriage" in Alabama this past week in some, but not all, counties.

3 - ISIS announces death of American relief worker 

It was confirmed earlier this week that an American humanitarian aid worker had indeed lost her life while being held by the radical Islamic group, ISIS.  The Christian Post reported that a U.S. intelligence official has said that worker, 26-year-old Kayla Mueller of Prescott, AZ, appeared to have been married off to an ISIS official. The terror group had sent photos of her dead body to her family showing her in a white burial shroud, supposedly as a sign of respect.

The article noted that ISIS has claimed that Mueller, who had been held captive since 2013, died following a Jordanian airstrike on one of its targets.  However, American officials have not yet confirmed the cause of her death.

It was reported that Kayla's family released a letter she had written during her time in captivity, where she asked her parents not to worry about her, and claimed she was healthy and was being treated well.  The family noted that her deep Christian faith gave her courage.

Mueller is reportedly the fourth American confirmed to have been killed at the hands of ISIS since the U.S. began military operations against the terror group in 2014.

2 - Jury reaches decision in case concerning petition drive to overturn Houston ordinance; effect clouded

The ongoing standoff between city officials in Houston and citizens who wish to see the so-called equal rights ordinance there put to a vote of the people took another confusing turn this week, as a jury reached what the Houston Chronicle is calling a "mixed verdict."   The case involved the collection of signatures for a petition drive, in which those opposing the amendment claimed to have exceeded the requirement for signatures in order that the ordinance would be placed on the ballot, only to have city officials throw out a large number of the petitions.

The article said that the jury found that the law's opponents submitted a repeal referendum petition that contained forgery and other flaws. Attorney for the petitioners, Andy Taylor, is quoted as saying, "The thing that is super significant here is that the jury found no fraud," adding, "This mayor has been claiming for over six months that these hardworking citizens committed fraud and this jury found that they did not. So they can take that to the bank."

What's next?  The Chronicle reports that attorneys on both sides said that the presiding judge, Robert Schaffer, will now begin counting which signatures are valid to see if opponents have reached the needed 17,269-signature threshold. Schaffer reportedly retains wide legal discretion in what he deems valid. The report says:

The jury's ruling Friday will trigger a series of legal dominoes that, eventually, will yield a definitive answer: The judge will count the signatures, issue a decision on whether the petition is valid and then the case will almost certainly go to the appellate courts.

The piece noted that jurors were tasked with poring over the almost-5,200-page petition and answering six questions about the work of more than 100 circulators. Ten of the 12 jurors signed off on the final decision.

1 - Legal battles continue concerning same-sex marriage in Alabama

This past Monday in Alabama, a federal judge's ruling went into effect, allowing marriage licenses to be issued for same-sex couples across the state.  The first day, according to a map on the AL.com website, fewer than 10 counties were actually issuing the licenses to same-sex couples. Chief Justice Roy Moore had instructed probate judges in Alabama not to issue the licenses.

On Thursday, in response to legal action filed against the Mobile County Probate Judge, Don Davis, the same judge that ruled the state's marriage amendment unconstitutional, ordered that judge to begin issuing licenses to same-sex couples.   By the end of the week, according to an updated map, over 40 counties had begun to issue licenses to such couples.

But, the legal action has not ended.  AL.com reports that late Friday, the Alabama Supreme Court agreed, by a 6-2 margin, to consider a petition by two groups seeking a halt to the issuance of same-sex marriage licenses by state probate judges.

The high court reportedly set up a schedule for the coming week for the different sides to file their answers and briefs on the request by the Alabama Policy Institute and Alabama Citizens Action Program. The court, however, did not say whether it would hold a hearing for oral arguments before responding to the petition.

API and ALCAP on Wednesday filed their emergency petition for a writ of mandamus declaring the state's ban on same-sex unions is still in force and to halt any probate judge from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

The order stated that briefs by probate judges should address issues raised by the petition, including whether the state Supreme Court even has jurisdiction to hear the petition.  Answers and briefs by probate judges are to be filed by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, then ALCAP and API will have a chance to respond by 5 p.m. Thursday.

National legal advocacy group Liberty Counsel is also involved in asking the Alabama Supreme Court to prevent probate judges from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

The 3 - February 8, 2015

In this week's edition of The 3, my week-in-review feature:  a new development in the case of an Oregon bakery who refused to endorse a same-sex wedding by baking a cake for it.  Also, there's been quite a bit of commentary on President Obama's message at this week's National Prayer Breakfast likening the brutality of ISIS as an extreme perversion of religion to, as he put it, the Crusades or Jim Crow laws.  And, an appeals court ruling upheld the rights of a parachurch ministry to set its practices on who to employ or terminate according to its faith principles.

3 - Christian bakers in OR found guilty of discrimination, could pay huge fine

In 2013, the owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa, a bakery in Oregon, declined to provide a wedding cake for a same-sex couple, according to a report by Todd Starnes on the Fox News website, who said that the owners, Todd and Melissa Klein, were relentlessly pummeled in the media. LGBT activists launched protests and boycotts. Starnes reports that their small children even received death threats - simply because they chose to follow the teachings of their faith.

He also states that:

At some point the activists threatened to launch boycotts against any wedding vendor that did business with the Kleins. That turned out to be the death blow to their retail shop. Today, Melissa bakes cakes out of the family’s home.

The report says that last year, investigators concluded the bakers had violated the couple’s rights to equal treatment in places that serve the public.  And, in the latest development, an Oregon administrative law judge ruled on January 29 that the Todd and Melissa did, in fact, discriminate in 2013 when they declined to provide the cake for the lesbian couple because it would have violated their Christian beliefs against same-sex marriage.  The announcement of the judge's ruling was made this past Monday, according to a piece on the Baptist Press website.

There will now by a hearing on March 10 at which the Kleins will learn how they will be punished. They could have to pay at least $150,000 in fines.  Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian will be making that determination. Starnes reports that in 2013, Avakian told The Oregonian that it is the government’s desire was to "rehabilitate" businesses like the one owned by the Kleins.

Aaron Klein is quoted as saying that there will be no reconciliation and there will be no rehabilitation. He said, "There's nothing wrong with what we believe...It’s a biblical point of view. It’s my faith. It’s my religion.”

2 - Critics call out President for comments about religious extremism at National Prayer Breakfast

The National Prayer Breakfast is an annual event held in the nation's capital which generally features a keynote speaker, along with a message by the current President.  Dr. Ben Carson was the speaker in 2013, Eric Metaxas the year before that.  This year, NASCAR great and Fox Sports commentator Darrell Waltrip was the guest speaker.  He shared about his own personal faith journey and apparently delivered a strong presentation of gospel truth.  WORLD reported on Waltrip's message:

“If you’ve never gotten on your knees and asked Him to forgive you of your sins—you’re just a pretty good guy or a pretty good gal?—you’re going to go to hell,” Waltrip said, after telling the story of how he accepted Christ following a bad crash in 1983. He walked away from the wreckage wondering what might have happened to him if he had died.

During his younger years, Waltrip said he was arrogant and drank too much. He was more interested in hanging out at bars than going to church. But his wife, he said, prayed for him for years and continually pointed him toward God. When he finally got on his knees, he said it felt like the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders.

However, Waltrip's testimony has been overshadowed by the words of President Obama.  WORLD reports that Mr. Obama said that Islamic State militants are part of a “death cult,” not a legitimate religion: “We are summoned to push back against those who would distort our religion for their nihilistic ends.”

But, as the article points out:

Rather than focus his comments on Islam, Obama wagged a rhetorical finger at Christians, who he said were responsible centuries ago for atrocities during the Crusades and more recently for using the name of Christ to justify slavery and later Jim Crow laws in the United States. Because of that history, the president said, Christians especially should be humble in assuming they have all the answers or a direct line to divine revelation.

A number of Christian leaders were swift to respond, such as Franklin Graham, who posted on his Facebook page, according to The Christian Post:

"Today at the National Prayer Breakfast, the President implied that what ISIS is doing is equivalent to what happened over 1000 years ago during the Crusades and the Inquisition," Graham wrote. "Mr. President — Many people in history have used the name of Jesus Christ to accomplish evil things for their own desires. But Jesus taught peace, love and forgiveness."

Graham further wrote that unlike Jesus, who lived His life without sin, Mohammed took many innocent lives.

"[Jesus] came to give His life for the sins of mankind, not to take life. Mohammad on the contrary was a warrior and killed many innocent people," Graham asserted. "True followers of Christ emulate Christ — true followers of Mohammed emulate Mohammed."

The article reports that Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, also criticized Obama for his easy willingness to condemn Christian brutality but inability to acknowledge terrorist ties to Islam. He told Megyn Kelly of Fox News that he thinks the president squandered a chance to bring more awareness to the lives of people currently being oppressed by Muslim oppressors, which currently includes an American citizen, Saeed Abedini.

And, Western Journalism reports on the words of Bishop E.W. Jackson of STANDAmerica on Fox and Friends, telling Elizabeth Hasselbeck:

This president does everything he possibly can to defend Islam and does almost nothing to defend the honor of this country. And yes, once again, he’s giving them exactly what they want. And you know, Elizabeth, they’re laughing at us because all they see it as, is a sign of weakness. And America needs to operate from strength.

Jackson concluded his comments with a strong message to Christians:

Pray for our president. I think he’s deeply misguided and confused. Pray for our country. We need leaders who will defend the integrity of our nation.

1 - Appeals court rules that parachurch ministry can set employment qualifications based on faith 

This past Thursday, a ruling was handed down by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals involving InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and its employment practices. According to a Christianity Today report, the ruling is apparently an extension of the Hosanna-Tabor decision that said that churches could establish practices concerning the hiring and firing of employees based on their faith principles.

In 2013, a former spiritual director at InterVarsity filed a lawsuit challenging her firing. She had been placed on paid leave in 2011 after informing her supervisor she was considering divorce, and terminated that December for what she alleges was "failing to reconcile her marriage." (Her husband filed for divorce the following month.) She claimed that two of her male colleagues in similar situations had not received the same treatment.

According to the report, the court ruled that because InterVarsity is a religious organization and the employee was a "ministerial employee," "IVCF’s decision to terminate her employment cannot be challenged under federal or state employment discrimination laws."

The article provided some of the backstory of the Hosanna-Tabor case, in which the Supreme Court ruled that a Lutheran school teacher was a "minister" who could not sue the church that fired her in 2005, on the basis of the “ministerial exception,” which allows religious institutions to hire and fire employees according to their religious criteria. While the Sixth Circuit acknowledged that IVCF was not a church, it granted faith-based organizations the same rights.

The article quotes David French, an attorney for the American Center for Law and Justice, which represented IVCF in this case, who wrote, “These conclusions demonstrate profound respect for our constitutional structure and for the First Amendment...It is simply not the business of the government to determine who may or may not serve as a minister of the Gospel—or a minister of any other faith."

The 3 - February 1, 2015

This week's edition of The 3, my week-in-review feature, includes some good news from Great Britain for a large-scale missions organization.  Also, more legal developments regarding a federal judge's ruling that Alabama's marriage amendment was unconstitutional.  And, there's news concerning New York City, where city attorneys continue to fight for the right to keep churches from meeting in school buildings - the defense team for a local church filed a brief this week with the U.S. Supreme Court.

3 - Youth With a Mission workers will be allowed to stay in Great Britain

Youth With a Mission is an organization that operates around the globe.  Its website describes the organization, also known as YWAM, as "a global movement of Christians from many cultures, age groups, and Christian traditions, dedicated to serving Jesus throughout the world."

In 1960, the organization's main focus was to get youth involved in missions. Today, it still focuses on youth, and people ages 8 to 80 are involved. It currently works in more than 1,100 locations in over 180 countries, with a staff of over 18,000.

In December, according to a Christianity Today piece, Britain suspended licenses for 300 YWAM missionaries and their families due to issues with the organization’s sponsorship paperwork.  Without the authorization to sponsor visas, YWAM would have been forced to send the missionaries home as soon as April, cutting its presence in England and Wales in half.

This week, it was announced that government officials reinstated the organization’s sponsorship status, meaning that these YWAM workers could continue their work.  In a statement, YWAM said that, "We are extremely grateful for this positive outcome, but admit that we have had to learn several hard lessons about our internal processes and our approach to record keeping.”

The missionary organization, which has operated in the UK for more than 40 years, released a statement Tuesday praising God for the resolution to its visa issue and thanking supporters for their encouragement.

2 - Alabama marriage amendment defended by Chief Justice and Governor, Attorney General appeals federal judge's ruling

Over a week ago, on January 23 a federal judge in Mobile, Alabama issued a ruling saying that Alabama's marriage amendment, defining marriage as one man and one woman, was unconstitutional.   That ruling, along with another that she issued dealing with same-sex marriage, were both placed on hold until February 9, giving the 11th Circuit appeals court an opportunity to extend a stay on the ruling taking effect.

A Baptist Press piece follows the series of events involving probate judges in the state, who would be charged with issuing marriage licenses for same-sex couples. After the initial ruling, the Alabama Probate Judges Association issued a statement claiming the ruling only applied to "parties in the case" and did not require its members to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

But a clarification issued by the judge, Ginny Granade, on January 28 led the president of the judges' organization to say in a statement that the association now believes its members could be required to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples February 9.

The piece also includes a report on the letter that Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore sent Gov. Robert Bentley on January 27 stating that Moore would "continue to recognize the Alabama Constitution and the will of the people overwhelmingly expressed in the Sanctity of Marriage Amendment." Moore added that "nothing in the United States Constitution grants the federal government the authority to redefine the institution of marriage," according to a report on al.com.

In response, Bentley issued a statement expressing his support of the marriage amendment. He stated, "The people of Alabama voted in a constitutional amendment to define marriage as being between man and woman...As governor, I must uphold the Constitution. I am disappointed in Friday's ruling, and I will continue to oppose this ruling. The Federal government must not infringe on the rights of states."

As an AL.com article points out, the governor filed a court brief to support Attorney General Luther Strange's appeal to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to put the January 23 ruling on hold.

The piece reports on the 24-page brief submitted by attorneys for Bentley, which argues, among other points, that the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution grants the power to define marriage to states.

They argue that a stay pending a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court would avoid substantial confusion on the law concerning marriage licenses in Alabama.  The Supreme Court has agreed to take up the issue of same-sex marriage in its upcoming term.  

1 - Legal team files brief in defense of churches' right to meet in public school buildings, New York City mayor's legal team defends ban

This past Monday, the Alliance Defending Freedom filed a brief before the U.S Supreme Court answering New York City’s arguments against the high scrutinizing its attempts to ban worship services in empty public school buildings, according to the ADFMedia.org website.  In September of last year, ADF asked the high court to review a 2-1 ruling by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit that upheld a city policy prohibiting worship services in public school buildings during non-school hours.  The panel’s ruling is on hold until the Supreme Court decides whether to take the case.

ADF Senior Counsel Jordan Lorence contends that, "In New York City, any community group can meet in vacant school buildings for any purpose except for religious groups meeting to worship God. The city’s arguments in defense of this policy cannot withstand constitutional scrutiny," adding, "Evicting churches and the help they offer the people in their communities through their worship services in otherwise empty buildings on weekends helps no one. Violating the First Amendment, as New York City is doing, hurts everyone. For that reason, we hope the U.S. Supreme Court will agree to hear this important case."

The New York City Department of Education has defended this policy, known as Regulation I.Q., in court on and off since 1995 even though the department allows other community groups to rent space for their meetings. As ChristianNews.net reports, this case began in 1995, when Bronx Household of Faith submitted an application to rent a public school building for its worship services, but was denied by the Board of Education.  The matter then went to court, and the Board of Education argued that allowing churches to use school facilities and to advertise their services amounted to a violation of the Establishment Clause in the United States Constitution.  The church, represented by ADF, pointed to the fact that religious student groups already use school rooms after hours for Bible reading and prayer.

The case went all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to hear the matter.  In 2012, however, U.S. District Court Judge Loretta Presha issued a permanent injunction, allowing the Bronx Household of Faith to continue to hold services in local public school buildings indefinitely. She stated that denial of the use of the building equated to an infringement of the Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses of the U.S. Constitution.

But the ruling was again appealed, and last April, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals issued its ruling that the school board's prohibition doesn’t violate the Constitution. The case was then again appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, despite the declaration of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio during his campaign, quoted by Christianity Today, that, "I stand by my belief that a faith organization playing by the same rules as any community non-profit deserves access," attorneys for the city argued to keep its current restrictions.  Their brief said, according to ChristianNews.net, said, "The department’s decision to make public schools available to religious organizations for a wide range of activities, but not for worship services or as a house of worship, is constitutional." It also stated, "The policy does not prohibit, limit, or burden any religious practice; does not entangle the government in matters of religion; and does not impair petitioners’ ability to speak freely."

The 3 - January 25, 2015

This week's edition of The 3, my week-in-review feature, highlights the latest action from the fire chief in Atlanta, who lost his job after publishing a book that presented a Biblical view of sexuality. Also, another Federal judge has struck down a state marriage amendment in another Southern state - this time in Alabama.  And, the top story: a throng of marchers gathered in Washington, DC to stand for the right to life for pre-born babies, with a special concentration on those children with disabilities.

3 - Former Atlanta Fire Chief fights back

An attorney representing fired Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran has filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, claiming that the former chief was terminated due to his religious beliefs, claiming that this action violated his civil rights.

According to an article on The Blaze website, Alliance Defending Freedom "Allied attorney Jonathan Crumly filed an EEOC complaint on behalf of Chief Cochran yesterday based on the City’s clear religious discrimination against the Chief,” according to a statement by ADF senior counsel Jeremy Tedesco.  He added, ”Americans are guaranteed the freedom to live without fear of losing their jobs because of their beliefs and thoughts.”

The piece related that Cochran, in his filing, recounted his version of events, noting that he served as fire chief for nearly five years and that his problems with city officials began on Nov. 24, 2014, when he was suspended without pay following controversy over a book that included a section on sinful behavior, including sexuality.  The Blaze article referenced an interview with Todd Starnes of Fox News, in which the former chief said that he did “not single out homosexuality” in his book.  He is quoted as saying, “I simply spoke to sex being created by God for pro-creation and He intended it to be between a man and a woman in holy matrimony – and that any other sex outside of that is sin,”

Cochran said that he was later informed that an investigation the government conducted while he was out of work found zero instances in which he had discriminated against other staff members, but he alleges that his faith became a factor in the dismissal process. In the complaint, he stated, “The book expresses my deeply held religious convictions on many subjects,” he concluded. “I believe that I have been discriminated against because of my religion — Christian — in violation of Title Vll of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended.”

The mayor of Atlanta is apparently trying to contend that the chief was fired because he disobeyed orders. Mayor Kasim Reed claimed at a press conference earlier this month that Cochran’s judgement was at the center of his firing.

The mayor said he wasn’t consulted before the book was written and that Cochran, who spoke out about his battle with the city to religious groups when he was reportedly told not to, violated policies by not having the book cleared by an ethics panel, as required by the city.

Cochran claims Atlanta ethics officer Nina Hickson gave him verbal permission to write the book and that he had given a copy to Reed’s office last January, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

However, according to Christianity Today, the mayor had said when the book came to the attention of city officials, that he worried that Cochran’s positions in the book would lead to accusations of discrimination. It referenced a USA Today story, quoting the mayor as saying, "I want to be clear that the material in Chief Cochran's book is not representative of my personal beliefs, and is inconsistent with the administration's work to make Atlanta a more welcoming city for all citizens—regardless of their sexual orientation, gender, race, and religious beliefs."

2 - One judge negates hundreds of thousands of voters regarding Alabama's marriage law

Late Friday afternoon, a Federal judge in Mobile ruled that Alabama's marriage amendment, approved by 81 percent of the voters, is unconstitutional.

Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council is quoted as saying, "This federal judge is throwing out the votes of the people of Alabama and attempting to shut down the debate over marriage. In exercising their right to vote, Alabama voters overwhelmingly sent a message that that they want to see society rebuild and strengthen marriage - not have it redefined by unelected judges.

He also said that, "There is nothing in the U.S. Constitution that empowers this federal judge to overturn Alabama's marriage amendment nor any basis for the U.S. Supreme Court to impose a 50 state same-sex 'marriage' mandate."

According to AL.com, U.S. District Judge Ginny Granade ruled that the Alabama Marriage Protection Act and the amendment that later enshrined it in the state constitution both were unconstitutional.   The Ballotpedia.com website indicates that over 697,000 Alabamians voted in favor the amendment in 2006.

Also, AL.com reported that the Alabama Probate Judges Association issued a statement Saturday night saying despite Friday's federal court ruling, the state's probate judges cannot issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Al Agricola, attorney for the Alabama Probate Judges Association, stated in a press release. "The legal effect of this decision is to allow one person in one same sex marriage that was performed in another state to adopt their partner's child. There is nothing in the judge's order that requires probate judges in Alabama to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples."

And on Sunday, according to AL.com, Judge Granade issued a 14-day stay of her ruling. She reportedly rejected arguments by the Alabama Attorney General's Office that the state likely would win on appeal. But she agreed to give attorneys two weeks to make their case to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. If it does not act in that time to extend or lift the stay, the order will take effect on Feb. 9. The judge said she also would issue a follow-up opinion clarifying the original order.

1 - Hundreds of thousands take part in March for Life, House passes ban on taxpayer funding of abortion

The 42nd March for Life was held in the nation's capital on Thursday, and another large turnout participated.  According to a report on the LifeSiteNews.com website, "hundreds of thousands of pro-life activists gathered beneath sunny skies and surprisingly warm temperatures to hear speeches from pro-life politicians and prominent movement leaders."

March for Life President Jeanne Monahan Mancini stated that, "I’m so grateful” for those who traveled from around the country and around the world to join the march. She explained that this year’s theme, “Every Life is a Gift,” refers especially to babies with prenatal diagnoses of potentially disabling conditions like Down syndrome who are aborted at a much higher rate than the general population.

The article reported that several lawmakers spoke, including Rep. Kathy McMorris-Rogers of Washington state, the mother of a boy with Down syndrome.  She promised that despite the Republican GOP leadership’s eleventh-hour decision to refrain from voting on the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which would ban most abortions after 20 weeks, she and her pro-life colleagues are committed to its passage, along with the passage of a healthcare conscience rights act. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina said, “The Senate will stand shoulder to shoulder with the House as you move forward legislation that protects life.”

Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey touted the importance of the passage of the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, saying, "That legislation is historic...It will end our forced complicity, our funding of abortion.”  In addition to those 3 Republican lawmakers, Democratic Rep. Dan Lipinski of Illinois declared, “Everyone needs to come together to protect life,” adding, “Women deserve better than abortion.”

Also, it was reported that as the March itself began, organizers announced the winners of the annual student contest, themed “Every Selfie has a Story.” They then introduced this year’s march leaders, the entire student body and faculty of Shanley High School in Fargo, ND - 400 total people, who filled eight buses and drove 24 hours straight to carry the banner at the front of the march.

Senior Julia Johnson said, “As a school, we are humbled and honored to have been selected to hold the banner for this year’s March for Life.” In a brief speech, Julia proclaimed, "Our cause in defending life is a noble one,” and added, “We are living in a modern-day holocaust … that takes the lives of 3,000 babies each day, more than one million babies each year.”

On Wednesday night, the eve of the March for Life, a vote that was timed with that massive event was suddenly cancelled, the vote on the Pain Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which The Daily Signal website describes as a bill banning abortions after 20 weeks, except in cases where rape or incest had been reported to authorities.

The piece quotes a Politico report that said, "The evening switch comes after a revolt from a large swath of female members of Congress, who were concerned about language that said rape victims would not be able to get abortions unless they reported the incident to authorities."

As The Daily Signal points out, the bill passed in the House in 2013 without controversy over the exceptions. And a Quinnipiac poll asked this question: “In 2013 the House of Representatives approved legislation that would ban virtually all abortions nationwide after 20 weeks of pregnancy, except in cases of rape and incest that are reported to authorities...Would you support or oppose such legislation?”

In response to that specific question, 60 percent of Americans, including 59 percent of women, said they would support such legislation in response to the poll, which was released in November. 

The 3 - January 18, 2015

This week's edition of The 3 includes two cases involving the U.S. Supreme Court - this week, the high court announced it would take up the topic of gay marriage, and it heard arguments in a case surrounding a small church's free speech rights.  The other story involves a university that had planned to allow a Muslim call to prayer to be broadcast at its chapel, then reversed its decision.

3 - U.S. Supreme Court will tackle gay marriage

It was just a matter of time - in light of numerous Federal judicial circuits striking down state marriage amendments, coupled with one circuit upholding the traditional definition of marriage, the U.S. Supreme Court announced Friday that indeed it would take up the issue.

According to the WORLD News Group website, the court in its order said it will consider two questions: One, whether the 14th Amendment requires states to license same-sex marriages; and two, whether states must recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states.

The court has consolidated four marriage cases from the states in the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled in favor of the definition of marriage as one man and one woman. Those states are Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee, and Kentucky.   WORLD reports that the justices will hear an exceptional two-and-a-half hours of arguments on those cases. Usually the court only allots one hour of arguments for each case. The hearings likely will take place toward the end of April, and the court should issue an opinion at the end of June.

2 - Duke University cancels scheduled Muslim prayers 

This week, officials at Duke University decided to cancel plans to allow the Muslim call to prayer to be broadcast from the bell tower of the chapel on its campus, according to a report on the Religion News Service website, which quoted Michael Schoenfeld, a Duke vice president for public affairs and government relations, who said in a statement the school remains committed to “fostering an inclusive, tolerant and welcoming campus” for all students but “it was clear that what was conceived as an effort to unify was not having the intended effect.”

One powerful voice speaking out against the call to prayer was Franklin Graham, who said that the call includes the words “Allahu Akbar,” or “God is great,” which was shouted by Islamist militants during last week’s deadly attacks across Paris.  He said on his Facebook page, "As Christianity is being excluded from the public square and followers of Islam are raping, butchering, and beheading Christians, Jews, and anyone who doesn’t submit to their Sharia Islamic law, Duke is promoting this in the name of religious pluralism.”

A Christianity Today piece on the incident and the broader issue of Christians allowing other faith groups to use their facilities said that on its website, the chapel is described as “a Christian church of uniquely interdenominational character and purpose,” welcoming people of “all faiths and circumstances.”

The dean of Duke Divinity School, Richard Hays, raised concerns about the use of the chapel for the Muslim call to prayer if it’s seen as a Christian church (given its history and iconography), rather than a neutral space on campus.

“There are serious questions...about the wisdom and propriety of allowing Duke chapel to be used for this purpose,” he said in a statement. “Despite some common beliefs and traditions, Christianity and Islam stand in significant theological tension with one another.”  The CT article points out that Duke was founded by Methodists and now describes its Christian ties as “historical and symbolic,” emphasizing its independence from the United Methodist Church.

1 - U.S. Supreme Court considers AZ sign ordinance 

In Gilbert, Arizona, there is a sign ordinance that has been challenged by Good News Community Church, which, according to the Alliance Defending Freedom, rents space in temporary locations for its weekly service.  The church had used small, temporary signs to invite and direct the community to its services.

ADF states that:

The Town of Gilbert Sign Code imposes strict limits on the size, location, number, and duration of the church’s signs. It does not impose the same restrictions on political, ideological, and homeowners’ association signs. If the church violates the code, Pastor Reed could be fined and possibly jailed.

The text of the town’s code regulates signs based on what they say, and the town is applying the code in a manner thatovertly singles out the church’s religious speech for discriminatory treatment. Both are impermissible under the First Amendment. 

The church has argued that the code is an unconstitutional restriction on its First Amendment right to free speech.  On Monday of this week, the case was heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.

ADF Senior Counsel David Cortman is quoted as saying, "...No one’s speech is safe if the government is allowed to pick free-speech winners and losers based on the types of speech government officials prefer. The Supreme Court has a long history of ensuring that the government treats all speech in a content-neutral manner. That’s why we trust the court will not allow the town of Gilbert to continue giving preferential treatment to certain messages while marginalizing others."

The church's pastor, Clyde Reed, is quoted as saying that the church "learned that if we violate the strict rules on our signs, we face criminal fines and even possible jail time. This whole experience has been shocking to me – our signs inviting people to church are very important yet are treated as second-class speech."

The church and ADF are seeking a reversal of a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, which sided with the Town of Gilbert.

The 3 - January 11, 2015

In this week's edition of The 3, my week-in-review feature, I outline several developments on the issue of same-sex marriage.  Also, laws that are called, "non-discrimination" but that actually provide special rights for homosexual and transgender individuals are finding less traction, and two cities halted forward progress of these types of ordinances this week.   And, the top story involves the firing of the Atlanta Fire Chief for comments made in a Christian book that he has published.

3 - Gay marriage: licenses issued in FL, 5th Circuit hears cases, Supreme Court passes - for now 

There was quite a bit of action regarding same-sex marriage this week.  County clerks in some Florida counties began to issue marriage licenses, in accordance with a ruling last year by a Federal judge that the state's marriage amendment was unconstitutional.  The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had placed the decision on hold, but that "stay" expired this week and was not renewed.

Meanwhile, a three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit heard oral arguments Friday on marriage laws in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.   A report on the NOLA.com website said that, "gay marriage advocates seemed to find a receptive audience in the 5th Circuit U.S. Appeals on Friday (Jan. 9)..." The piece went on: "Two of the three judges on the panel -- Obama appointee James Graves and Reagan appointee Patrick Higginbotham -- asked skeptical questions about the state's position in defense of the ban, barely letting attorney Kyle Duncan, representing Louisiana, conclude his opening remarks."

The report says that:

Outside the courthouse, Gene Mills of the conservative Louisiana Family Forum said he expected a ruling in favor of the state's marriage ban, and that the courts should not decided [sic] the definition of marriage.

Mills said he expected that the Supreme Court, however, would have the last word on marriage.

The website, Click2Houston.com, quoted Jonathan Saenz, an attorney and the president of Texas Values, as saying, "What happened today is only a few people are going to be involved in the decision about whether or not marriage gets redefined. But through the demo process, the people of Texas have settled this issue."

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton released a statement following the hearing. He said, “In 2005, Texans overwhelmingly supported a Constitutional amendment defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman."  He added, "I am committed to defending the Texas Constitution, the will of our citizens and this sacred institution."

And, USA Today reports that the U.S. Supreme Court "delayed action Friday on its most closely watched deliberation -- whether to rule this year on states' remaining bans against same-sex marriage.

After considering petitions filed by gay and lesbian couples in five states that still prohibit gay and lesbian nuptials, the justices did not agree to hear any of them. The article said that their decision could come next week.

The piece said that:

Although the decision did not come Friday, the justices' hands most likely will be forced by a split among federal appellate courts, created when the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit upheld four states' marriage bans in November. While gays and lesbians can marry in 36 states, most recently including Florida, the practice is banned in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee, along with 10 other states. 

2 - Communities pull back on so-called "non-discrimination" laws

After the debacle involving the Houston non-discrimination ordinance that was passed last year and the rescinding of a similar ordinance in Fayetteville, Arkansas by the voters, it appears that the trend toward passing such legislation could be heading in a different direction.

According to the Family Research Council, this week, in Starkville, Mississippi, members of the city council voted 5-2 to rescind a special rights ordinance.  FRC states that, "People on the ground knew there was storm brewing when Human Rights Campaign came to Starkville and convinced the Mayor to back it."  The Columbus Dispatch reports that the Mayor Parker Wiseman issued a veto on Friday. That veto would be overturned if the five-vote block holds.

And, in Glendale, Arizona on Tuesday, according to the Alliance Defending Freedom, the City Council postponed a vote on a proposed ordinance, which it says is similar to Houston’s so-called “non-discrimination” law and could be fraught with First Amendment problems. The council held a closed-session workshop Tuesday to discuss the proposed law and recommended hiring a facilitator to research the issue before proceeding further.

ADF Senior Legal Counsel Erik Stanley is quoted as saying, “Citizens should always have a say on laws that could greatly affect them. The Glendale City Council was right not to pass this ordinance without taking into account the concerns of its citizens and the serious ramifications for religious freedom...Other cities in the nation have found such ordinances unnecessary, and we hope Glendale will reach the same conclusion after further research.”

1 - Atlanta fire chief fired for writing book consistent with his Christian beliefs

It's been quite a week for Kelvin Cochran.  He came back to work this week as Atlanta's Fire Chief after a 30-day suspension, due to his publishing of a book including Biblical views of sexuality, including its opposition to homosexuality.  Later in the day that he returned, he found himself without a job.

Christianity Today reports that Cochran was a 34-year veteran of various fire departments (including a 2009 stint as President's Obama's pick for the nation's fire administrator) and deacon at a Southern Baptist megachurch, Cochran wrote Who Told You That You Were Naked?, aimed at Christian men and titled after God’s query to Adam after the Fall.

Mayor Kasim Reed is quoted as saying that, "I want to be clear that the material in Chief Cochran's book is not representative of my personal beliefs, and is inconsistent with the administration's work to make Atlanta a more welcoming city for all citizens—regardless of their sexual orientation, gender, race, and religious beliefs."

The Christianity Today piece states that though Cochran stated he had prior permission to release the book, Reed said it was done without proper review and that Cochran violated the terms of his suspension by publicly defending his stance, according to reports from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The Georgia Baptist Convention has placed a petition on its website, and is calling on the city to:

• Acknowledge Chief Cochran’s First Amendment Rights.
• Make a public apology for the termination and grief it has caused the Chief and his family.
• Restore Chief Cochran’s position and reputation as an honorable Fire Chief.

In the introduction to the petition, it says that, "The Georgia Baptist Convention (GBC) is calling on the Christian community to “stand up for biblical principles and fellow believers who are punished or marginalized for their faith.”

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution quotes the former chief as saying, "LGBT citizens deserve the right to express their beliefs regarding sexual orientation, and deserve to be respected for their positions without hate and discrimination.” He added, “But Christians also have the right to express their beliefs regarding sexual orientation and be respected for their position without hate and without discrimination. In the United States, no one should be vilified hated or discriminated against for expressing their beliefs.”

A rally in support of Chief Cochran has been scheduled for the Capitol Rotunda in Atlanta on Tuesday, January 13th at 1:30pm.

The 3 - January 4, 2015

This first edition of The 3 for 2015 includes a recent ruling from the Rhode Island Supreme Court against firefighters who had been forced to take part in an event that they believed violated their religious freedom.  Also, in this edition of my week-in-review feature, the first of 3 Passion events in the U.S. took place this weekend in Atlanta.  The top story involves the conclusion of an era, with the cessation of Mars Hill Church on Wednesday.

3 - Rhode Island Supreme Court: firefighters must march in gay pride parade

The news was released this past week, and reported on a number of sites, including
ChristianNews.net, that the Supreme Court of Rhode Island has ruled that the religious rights of two firefighters were not violated when they were forced to participate in a “gay pride parade” a decade ago despite their objections.

Theodore Fabrizio and Stephen Deninno were assigned by city officials to drive a fire truck in the 2001 parade, but when the men asked if they could be reassigned as they do not agree with the homosexual lifestyle, they were refused. The men then carried out their assignment against their will, but state that they experienced sexual harassment, including sexual propositions and “at least 60 profanity-laced anonymous phone calls,” from parade attendees and their co-workers both during and after the event.

The ChristianNews.net report states that Fabrizio and Deninno asserted that their constitutional rights - namely their rights to freedom of religion and freedom of speech - had been violated by being forced to participate in an event that conflicted with their convictions.

Litigation has been transpiring for more than a decade, and finally the state supreme court threw out the firefighters' lawsuit, saying that the city did not violate the men’s constitutional rights because the assignment was “legitimate.”

Justice William Robinson wrote, according to the report that the,“...appearance in the parade, solely as members of the Providence Fire Department, did not constitute a form of expression on their part...Rather, it was simply the accomplishing of a task assigned to an engine company of the Providence Fire Department, and the individuals chosen to carry out that assignment cannot be said to have engaged in personal speech by carrying out their work as public servants.”

The judge said that there was no case law that supported “the proposition that, in such specific circumstances, employees’ rights are violated if they happen to possess religious objections to the beliefs of the group with which an otherwise legitimate work assignment requires brief interaction.”

2 - First Passion conference of 2015 helps young adults kick off new year

Two years ago, the last Passion conference that was held at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta drew over 60,000 people, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  Last year, the Atlanta Passion event moved to another weekend and a smaller venue, and a Houston event was added.

This year, Passion is back on the week of New Year's in Atlanta's Philips Arena, and will present another Atlanta event in two weeks.  The Houston event is coming up the first week of February. The website is www.268generation.com.

According to a report on The Christian Post website:

Over 20,000 university students and leaders from around the world converged in downtown Atlanta Friday evening to kick off the Passion 2015 conference, the first of three, 3-day gatherings hosted by Passion this year focused on making Jesus famous while benefitting local communities and impacting the world.

Attendees at this first Passion 2015 gathering represent twenty-two nations and over 1,000 different universities. The majority of conference participants are students and young professionals ages 18-25, along with pastors and church leaders attending with their groups. In addition, over 1,000 volunteers – referred to as "Door Holders" – are assisting with various logistical needs throughout the conference.

According to the Post, Passion founder Giglio emphasized that the Gospel message is not simply one of forgiveness of sins, but also a call to surrender because of Christ's finished work on the cross.  He said, "We live in a 'me' and 'my' generation, but we are the Jesus generation united for His fame...We rally around the life and death of Jesus. We pray tonight that we will receive the Gospel and relinquish our lives in total surrender."

According to the Passion website, other scheduled speakers included John Piper and Francis Chan, with special music from the Passion worship band.

1 - Mars Hill Church comes to end, Warren speaks at last service

The conclusion of one of the top stories impacting the Christian community in 2014 took place on Wednesday, the date set for the dissolution of the Mars Hill Church congregations.  Mars Hill is based in Seattle.

Warren Throckmorton has chronicled the demise of Mars Hill and the circumstances leading up to the resignation of Mark Driscoll, and he points out on his blog at Patheos.com that:

Actually, the church doesn’t cease as an entity on December 31. There are buildings to sell and resources to distribute. There might be mediation or a lawsuit to settle. There will be donation statements to mail out. Speaking of money, there will be offerings to count and process.

Rick Warren of Saddleback Church delivered the final sermon via video. CharismaNews.com quotes the famous pastor as saying, "Now the fact is, in our broken world, sometimes everything seems to go wrong or fall apart all at once." It reports that the large, multi-site church will now dissolve into independent congregations.

Seattle television station KING5 reported that Mars Hill Pastor Mark Driscoll "resigned earlier this year after months of controversy regarding his treatment of churchgoers and some of his financial decisions."  It said that Pastor Matthias Haeusel made some brief remarks to the congregation prior to Rick Warren's words and called the final service a bittersweet end.

He said, "Lot of people have been loved real well at this church. Lot of people have come to faith at this church...I talked to someone this morning who had been here for 14 years and actually had a radically different trajectory from when before they came here to after."

Haeusel said that he prays for Mark Driscoll often. Driscoll has not announced what his plans are yet. Despite some of the problems of the past year Haeusel said that he hopes people remember the good.

"God did great things even through broken people," Haeusel said. "If we look at scripture that is what God always does, because he is God not because we are great."

The 3 - December 28, 2014

This week's edition of The 3, my week-in-review feature, highlights a movie depicting the life of a former Olympian and prisoner of war, who actually gave his life to Christ following World War II. Also, the shooting deaths of 2 New York City police officers has become a cause for concern as the national conversation on race relations continues.  Plus, the top story involves the celebration of the birth of Christ.

3 - Story of Louis Zamperini's life tops box office, Graham ministry tells rest of story

The story of former Olympian Louis Zamperini's survival at sea for over a month, followed by his imprisonment in a Japanese prison camp, was the top movie at the box office on Christmas Day, according to Box Office Mojo, which reported;

Unbroken took first place yesterday with an estimated $15.6 million, which ranks third all-time among Christmas Day debuts, behind Sherlock Holmes and Les Miserables. That's pretty remarkable considering the movie lacks any recognizable on-screen talent: credit this to the popularity of Laura Hillenbrand's book, curiosity about Jolie's directing, and the movie's inspirational true story (which appears to have some faith-friendly elements).

Louis Zamperini experienced a dramatic life change at a Billy Graham crusade in 1949.  After the war, he suffered from PTSD and abused alcohol.  After his conversion, he was able to forgive his captors.  CNN reported following his death in July of 2014:

He also forgave his wartime tormenters, some of them in person during a 1950 visit to a Tokyo prison where they were serving sentences for war crimes. He was willing to forgive the Bird, Mutsuhiro Watanabe, though Watanabe refused to meet with Zamperini when he had the chance, in 1998, when Zamperini returned to Japan to carry the torch at the Nagano Winter Games.

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has put together a special film called, Louis Zamperini: Captured By Grace, which the Association says "tells the story of life after returning home a hero. Through the power of the Gospel—and his experience at the 1949 Billy Graham Crusade in Los Angeles—Zamperini overcame alcoholism, night terrors and a failing marriage to live a full and joyous Christ-centered life until his passing at age 97, inspiring millions along the way." Learn more at www.billygraham.org.

2 - Faith element comes to light after NYC police shootings


The national conversation on issues surrounding race and violence, in which Christian leaders have been actively engaged, acquired another flashpoint the weekend before Christmas when two New York City officers were slain in their patrol car.

The family of one of the officers, according to the U.K. Daily Mail, has forgiven his murderer, a relative revealed.

Rafael Ramos' cousin, Ronnie Gonzalez, insists their focus is on remembering the 40-year-old officer, father of two boys, rather than gunman Ismaaiyl Brinsley.

"[Brinsley] in the hands of God now," Gonzalez told Pix11. "We don't believe in vengeance, we just forgive."

He added that Ramos was due to graduate as a chaplain this weekend.

The Daily Mail story quotes Gonzalez as saying to the Wall Street Journal, "My cousin had a couple of priorities in his life..."  He added, "One was God, because he was a God-loving man..."

The STAND organization, headed by Bishop E.W. Jackson, has launched a "Pray for Our Police" campaign.   A press release on the Christian Newswire website quotes the prayer:

When the job is hard.
When the pressure is great.
When you wonder,
"Does anyone appreciate?"
Just know that for all the work you do,
Someone is praying and thinking of you.
For your duty and honor in difficult times,
God in heaven makes His face shine.
He looks upon you from above.
To inspire you with courage and love.
May He give you the strength
To make one more round.
At the end of your shift,
To go home safe and sound.
May you fight the good fight,
And live by His grace.
When your work here is done,
You'll see His loving face.

(Copyright 2014 Bishop E.W. Jackson)

Also, Christian Newswire has a press release stating that the family of Rafael Ramos was given a letter from the President of Faith Evangelical College and Seminary in Tacoma, WA, Dr. Michael Adams, during the first of two funerals held on December 26. Officer Ramos was working towards a BA in Religion as a distance student so he could qualify to be a police chaplain.

1 - Christmas commemorate birth of Christ, #ChristmasMeans campaign tops Twitter

This past Thursday, people around the world joined in the celebration of Christmas.  For those who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, Christmas can become an opportunity to worship God for sending His Son into the world to bring salvation for all of us.

Christmas becomes a relevant time for ministry, as churches and ministry organizations engage in sharing the compassion of Christ.  One example is found on The Christian Post website, which reports that:

More than 12,000 bags of cookies along with a note and voucher for free hot meals at a local eatery were given to residents and workers on Christmas Eve near the four locations of the New Jersey-based Liquid Church. The gift bags were distributed by more than 5,000 people who attended one of 12 services at the church in what was called a "spiritual flash mob."

Church pastor Tim Lucas is quoted as saying, "It's exciting to see the enthusiasm to go out and share God's love after each service." He added, "And we just heard from some police officers in Times Square sharing that they just received a bag from a Liquid Church family. It made their day to know that they matter, especially on a day like today. Now that's what we call putting our faith into action."

Those who attended Christmas Eve services at the church throughout the day were given the bags of cookies and vouchers with instructions from Lucas to "fan out" and show God's love after the services.

And, ChristianHeadlines.com reported that the hashtag #ChristmasMeans was prompting thousands of Christians to share the true meaning of Christmas -- Jesus Christ.

It stated that, "Many Christian leaders have joined the chorus, including Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Archbishop of York John Sentamu."

Welby tweeted, “#ChristmasMeans that in Jesus, God has given us the most precious gifts of all: forgiveness and hope.”

Sentamu wrote, "#ChristmasMeans God is at work amongst us. He is closer than you think. Praise Him!"

The piece said that "Christian Today reports that the hashtag began trending when the Church of England headquarters told its clergy to encourage church members to get out their smartphones and post the true meaning of Christmas."   A similar campaign under the hashtag #EasterMeans reached 29 million people last April. 

The 3 - December 21, 2014

On this week's edition of The 3, my week-in-review feature, I highlight some news that has emerged from the nation of Iran, where 3 pastors had charges against them dropped recently.  Plus, there were several religious components surrounding the announcement this week of some changes in the relationship between the U.S. and Cuba. Also, a significant discussion on race was conducted this week by a number of evangelical church leaders.

3 - Three Iranian Christians cleared of charges

There is a cause for celebration with the news spreading this week about charges being dropped against three Iranian church leaders.

In 2006, Iranian pastor Behnam Irani was initially detained while holding a Bible study and sentence to prison five years later for “action against the state,” according to a report on the ChristianNews.net website. In June of this year, he was interrogated on five occasions, and authorities then added 18 new charges against the 41-year-old pastor, including Mofsed fel-Arz or “spreading corruption on Earth,” which carries the death penalty. Another translation of the charge is “enemies of God on Earth.”

However, in October, the charges were reduced and Irani instead faced accusations of “action against national security” and “creating a network to overthrow the system.” Two other leaders with the Church of Iran, Abdolreza Ali-Haghnejad and Reza Rabbani, were charged as well. All three were declared guilty by Judge Asel Al-Hosseyn, and were sentenced to six years behind bars.

During an appeal hearing last month, Moshkani Farahani, an attorney for the pastors argued that the charges were baseless.  Christian Solidarity Worldwide reports that Farahani "...contended that people cannot be sentenced on political charges for simply belonging to a religious fellowship; in this case, a Christian community: ‘It is normal for members of minorities to be in touch with each other; Jews are in touch with others, Zoroastrians are in touch with each other. It is the same for Assyrians, Orthodoxes and Evangelicals. Such connections cannot be perceived as a penal crime."

During a follow-up hearing on Dec. 9, an appeals court overturned the convictions of all three men.   Haghnejad and Rabbani were released, but Irani still faces another two years behind bars from his previous five year sentence.

Meanwhile, American pastor Saeed Abedini continues to serve his prison sentence in Iran.  On its website, Mission Network News has a story about a letter that he has recently released.  It states:

American Pastor Saeed Abedini, a U.S. citizen imprisoned in Iran for his Christian faith, has written a heartbreaking letter from his prison cell.

He talks about both the difficulty of spending Christmas trapped in a cold dark prison cell and how his faith in Christ is carrying him through this difficult time.

The letter was released by the American Center for Law and Justice.  The pastor wrote:

Some of my fellow prisoners don’t like me because I am a convert and a pastor. They look at me with shame as someone who has betrayed his former religion. The guards can’t even stand the paper cross that I have made and hung next to me as a sign of my faith and in anticipation of celebrating my Savior’s birth. They have threatened me and forced me to remove it. This is the first Christmas that I am completely without my family; all of my family is presently outside of the country. These conditions have made this upcoming Christmas season very hard, cold, and shattering for me. It appears that I am alone with no one left beside me.

He also wrote about what Christmas means to him. Pastor Saeed said that, "Christmas means that God came so that He would enter your hearts today and transform your lives and to replace your pain with indescribable joy." He added, "The same way that the heat from the earth’s core melts the hard stones in itself and produces lava, the fiery love of God, Jesus Christ, through the virgin Mary’s womb came to earth on Christmas to melt the hard heart of sin and wickedness of the world and removes them from our life."

2 - Religious leaders respond to greater normalization of  US-Cuba relations

The announcement of steps toward greater normalization of relations between the United States and Cuba had religious components surrounding it, including the release of a prisoner apparently motivated by his Jewish faith and the involvement of the Pope. And, a leading Hispanic religious leader offered a strong response

On Wednesday, a Jewish international aid worker held for five years in Cuba on charges of spying was freed, according to ReligionNews.com, which, concerning the release of Alan Gross said, "some are calling a Hanukkah miracle on the first day of the holiday that celebrates religious freedom."

Gross has always claimed that he only went to Cuba to bring communications equipment to the small Jewish community left in Havana. However, the Castro government said he was part of a spy network attempting to set up a secret network for Cuban Jews. Gross was serving a 15-year sentence.

President Obama chose Wednesday’s release as a springboard to announce a massive historic “normalization” of U.S.-Cuba relations. Religion News reports that the President particularly credited the “moral example of Pope Francis,” who actively encouraged Gross’ release. Francis, who held private meetings at the Vatican to secure the deal, praised the move, sending “his warm congratulations for the historic decision taken by the Governments of the United States of America and Cuba to establish diplomatic relations, with the aim of overcoming, in the interest of the citizens of both countries, the difficulties which have marked their recent history.”

Meanwhile, according to a report on the CharismaNews.com website, Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Leadership Council, the largest Hispanic Christian organization said that as a Christian, the normalization of diplomatic relations with Cuba prompts both concern and hopeful expectations for him.  He said that, "First, I am concerned that normalizing diplomatic ties without addressing the horrendous human rights record of the Castro regime serves as a defacto endorsement of one of the most oppressive regimes in recent history." He notes that as a result of Castro's totalitarian rule, millions live in poverty and thousands lie in prisons while others lost their lives. What's more, he continues, people live with their God given rights held hostage to governmental persecution.

Rodriguez concludes, "Nevertheless, if this controversial step results in the alleviation of hunger and opens the door for God-given freedoms to flourish, then I pray that this decision will serve as a prophetic step in unleashing the church of Jesus to be the church both inside and outside of the island nation addressing the spiritual and physical needs of the Cuban people."

Baptist Press featured a story on the viewpoints of some Southern Baptist leaders regarding this announcement.

1 - "A Time to Speak" online event brings together church leaders to address racial issues

"Where are the conservative evangelical voices?"  That was a question asked by Fellowship Memphis pastor Bryan Loritts in his opening remarks in an online event called, "A Time to Speak," held at the historic Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, now the site of the National Civil Rights Museum. According to a report on the Baptist Press website, the discussion this past week was intended to focus on race relations, in light of the recent deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner.

Ed Stetzer, executive director of LifeWay Research, served as moderator. He began by presenting new research about Americans' views on race. He said that a survey of 1,000 Americans found many (75 percent) say the country has come a long way on race relations. But, more than 8 in 10 (81 percent) agree with the statement "We've got so far to go on racial relations."

Loritts said whites and African Americans remain largely disconnected in churches and society, so they can't hear one another's stories.

"At the end of the day, we don't know each other," Loritts said. "We don't know each other's story."

Matt Chandler, pastor of The Village Church in Texas, said his views on race have changed because of his friendships with African American Christians, which have contributed to his concerns about racial injustice.  John Piper of Desiring God Ministries encouraged pastors of all ethnicities to "start from the Bible, end with the Bible" to confirm multiethnic relationships.

"The Gospel mandates reconciliation, in terms of when two people are brought to Jesus, they're brought to each other, period," Piper said. "That is the most important relationship on the planet ... more important than any of their blood relationships."

Other speakers included Voddie Baucham, Thabiti Anyabwile, and Trillia Newbell.  The Baptist Press report stated that, "Perhaps the most pointed moments of the discussion focused on systematic injustice, white privilege and the death of Michael Brown, stemming from a controversial piece Voddie Baucham, pastor of Grace Family Baptist Church in Spring, Texas, had written in late November saying Brown reaped what he had sown."  The article goes on to say that Anyabwile, an assistant pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC, "acknowledged that many African Americans have overcome adversity. But he also said churches have to face the reality of systematic injustice."  This was a continuation of the sharing of opinions that had been posted online by the two gentlemen following the grand jury's announcement that it would not indict the Ferguson police officer involved in Michael Brown's death.

About the event and its significance, Loritts said, ""The world heard us speak."

The 3 - December 14, 2014

In this edition of my week-in-review feature, The 3, a report has been released concerning abuse involving students at a notable Christian university.  Also, the state of Kentucky has reversed a multi-million dollar tax break afforded to a new Noah's Ark theme park under construction there.  And, a major newsmagazine has named its annual person of the year, acutally multiple persons, and there is a religious element to it.

3 - Report: Christian university responded poorly to abuse victims 

While sexual abuse on college campuses continues to be a significant topic, a famous Christian university has been taken to task for its response to students to claimed to suffer sexual abuse on campus or who found that their past experience with abuse was not handled properly by university staff.

Religion News Service reported this week on the release of a 300-page report conducted by the organization GRACE, which concluded that Bob Jones University, a conservative Christian school, responded poorly to many students who were victims of sexual assault or abuse.

Bob Jones commissioned GRACE, which stands for Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment, in November 2012 to investigate claims about sexual assualt. During its two-year investigation, GRACE interviewed 50 individuals who self-identified as victims of sexual abuse.The executive director of GRACE, is Boz Tchividjian, who is a grandson of Billy Graham, who had parted ways with the leadership of BJU due to the university's fundamentalism.  The famed evangelist had attended BJU briefly.

The school still sees itself as fundamentalist, though it describes itself in its promotional materials more broadly as nondenominationally Christian.

The school decided in 2011 to hire GRACE to investigate claims of mishandling of sexual abuse after national media reports surfaced. Earlier this year, the school fired, and then rehired, GRACE to investigate allegations. A representative for the university said both parties agreed not to discuss concerns during that time.

According to Religion News Service, Bob Jones highlighted findings from the report:

• BJU officials were not adequately prepared or trained to counsel victims appropriately.
• Staff were seen by some victims as insensitive to their suffering.
• Some victims reported that the school’s counseling was inadequate, insensitive and counterproductive.
• Some felt staff tended to blame victims for the abuse or sexual assault.
• Counseling sometimes overlapped with disciplinary actions.
• Several victims reported that their abuse was not reported to legal authorities by campus counselors.

In a statement, university president Steve Pettit said, “On behalf of Bob Jones University, I would like to sincerely and humbly apologize to those who felt they did not receive from us genuine love, compassion, understanding, and support after suffering sexual abuse or assault..."

He added: “I promise the victims who felt we failed them that the GRACE report is an extremely high priority that has our immediate and full attention.”

In a statement, Tchividjian said, “Though much in this report will understandably cause readers to grieve, GRACE is encouraged by the willingness of Bob Jones University to take the unprecedented step to voluntarily request this independent investigation and to make these difficult findings public” He stated, "Such institutional transparency is too rare and will hopefully set a positive precedent for Christendom and the watching world.”

Pettit will appoint a committee to review the report findings and recommendations during the next 90 days. He said the school has taken steps to respond to sex abuse. Every faculty and staff must promptly notify law enforcement officials of child sexual abuse. School staff encourage adult victims of sexual assault to report their experience to the police.

2 - State of Kentucky reverses tax breaks for Noah's Ark theme park in KY

The theme park, which, according to its website, is centered around a full-scale replica of Noah's Ark, under construction by Answers in Genesis, has had approximately $18 million in tax incentives for the proposed park in Northern Kentucky retracted by a Kentucky state government official.  The Christian Post has a report.

The Post refers to a report by the The Courier-Journal saying that Answers in Genesis, headed by Ken Ham, is now considering a federal lawsuit challenging the decision.

Answers in Genesis had applied for and was granted preliminary approval to participate in a state tax-incentive program which would have allowed them to keep 25 percent of the sales tax collected at the theme park for 10 years, amounting to more than $18 million.

In a recent letter highlighted by the Journal, however, Kentucky's Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet said the Ark Encounter theme park had changed its hiring policy since it first filed for the incentives in 2010 and plans to discriminate in hiring based on religion.

It also noted that the theme park had shifted from being a tourist attraction to an extension of the Answers in Genesis ministry which teaches a literal interpretation of the Bible.

Tourism Secretary Bob Stewart noted that, in the letter, "State tourism tax incentives cannot be used to fund religious indoctrination or otherwise be used to advance religion...The use of state incentives in this way violates the separation of church and state provisions of the Constitution and is therefore impermissible."

The Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Authority had granted preliminary approval for the incentives in July and requested written assurances that there would be no discrimination based on religion. Since Stewart does not recommend the project for the incentives, however, it will not get final approval from the authority.

James Parsons, an attorney for Answers in Genesis, said he sent a letter to the cabinet on Monday noting that the state's demands on hiring policies are in violation of both state and federal law.

"If you insist on the newly imposed condition ... it will amount to unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination and my client will have no choice but to seek redress in federal court."

1 - Ebola fighters named TIME's "Person of the Year"

For their “tireless acts of courage and mercy,” TIME magazine has named the Ebola fighters as its 2014 person of the year.

ChristianityToday.com reports that a number of people, including medical professionals like Dr. Kent Brantly of Samaritan's Purse and Nancy Writebol of SIM, stepped up to manage the disease when federal governments and international health organizations were dragging their feet, fighting “a war that is waged with bleach and a prayer," according to TIME managing editor Nancy Gibbs in her explanation.

Brantly actually was pictured on one of the covers of the magazine released to coincide with the announcement.  At the Samaritan's Purse website, Dr. Brantly is quoted as saying, “From the community health care volunteers in Liberia, to the dedicated staff of organizations like Samaritan’s Purse and MSF, to the doctors and nurses at Emory University Hospital, Ebola Fighters are mostly anonymous heroes whose diverse faces are largely unknown even to their patients as they wage this war in head-to-toe protective gear...It is these nameless champions that TIME has recognized today.”

The website points out that to date there have been more than 17,000 Ebola cases in this outbreak, leading to more than 6,000 deaths.

“It’s not simply an historic event that we’re looking back on,” Dr. Brantly said in a phone interview on NBC’s Today show. “It’s still happening … they’re still in the trenches fighting that war.”

As the Christianity Today piece highlights, the story of Ebola fighters has a strong religion angle, which TIME makes “abundantly clear” in highlighting the role of Samaritan’s Purse and other missionary doctors and even the Bible, Get Religion columnist Bobby Ross Jr. noted approvingly.