This week's edition of The 3, spotlighting three stories of relevance to the Christian community, includes a court ruling that puts the new 10 Commandments law in Louisiana on hold. Plus, a Christian missions organization as strengthened its doctrinal statement. And, an attempt to put an Indiana law on hold that would protect children from dangerous procedures that are falsely characterized as helping a child change his or her gender, has been turned back by a federal appeals court.
Federal judge puts new LA 10 Commandments law on hold
A new law in Louisiana requiring the 10 Commandments to be posted in public school classrooms across the state has been put on hold by a federal judge, according to WORLD Magazine, which reported:
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry approved a law in June that would require all classrooms in the state to hang up the Biblical Ten Commandments alongside a statement about their historical role in shaping American education. Less than a week later, the American Civil Liberties Union sued the state, saying the law violated the First Amendment’s prohibition on government endorsing religion.
WORLD stated that: "U.S. District Judge John deGravelles...issued a preliminary injunction preventing authorities in Louisiana from enforcing a law putting the Biblical Ten Commandments in classrooms. Judge deGravelles described the law as facially unconstitutional." The article added that the state's attorney general said she would appeal this ruling.
The Liberty Counsel website states:
Louisiana has considerable grounds for its appeal. Recent Supreme Court precedents show that displaying the Ten Commandments is not necessarily a religious endorsement. In American Legion v. American Humanists Association, the High Court wrote that the Ten Commandments “have historical significance as one of the foundations of our legal system” and represents a “common cultural heritage.” Then, in 2022, the cases of Shurtleff v. City of Boston and Kennedy v. Bremerton School District rejected and overruled the 1971 case of Lemon v. Kurtzman. The High Court replaced the “Lemon Test” by returning to a traditional First Amendment standard where courts must interpret the Establishment Clause by “reference to historical practices and understandings.”
The case now goes to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit.
Christian missions organization announces strengthening of doctrinal issues
In the face of churches and ministries compromising on their fidelity to Biblical truth, it is important that Christian entities are solid in their adherence to God's Word. One missions organization, the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism, has revised its statements of faith to make clear where it stands on important Biblical matters.This significant update comes as part of a broader effort to reaffirm ABWE’s unwavering commitment to historic, biblical orthodoxy and address contemporary cultural and theological challenges.ABWE President Paul Davis is quoted as saying, "Our new doctrinal statement strengthens our stance on essential truths and equips our workers to faithfully proclaim the gospel in today’s changing world,” adding, “In a time when doctrinal clarity is often compromised, ABWE remains committed to defending the ageless truths of Scripture and providing the necessary theological grounding for effective ministry.”