The 3 - November 7, 2021

This week's edition of The 3, featuring three stories of relevance to the Christian community, highlights court action regarding the Administration's mandate directed at many businesses in the nation, which would impact millions of employees.  Also, the U.S. Supreme Court was hearing an abortion case out of Texas this week.  Plus, there is a Christian faith element in the outcome of the Virginia statewide elections this past week. 

Court fight against vaccine mandate - round 1 goes to challengers

Just like clockwork, as soon as the OSHA guidelines were announced for the vaccine mandate to be slapped on employers who have 100 or more employees, plaintiffs, including states and business concerns, lined up to file suit, and within days, a federal court had already called a halt to the enforcement of it, at least until the cases can make their way through the system.

Round 1 goes to those who filed suit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The Epoch Times quoted from the order:

“Because the petitions give cause to believe there are grave statutory and constitutional issues with the mandate, the mandate is hereby STAYED pending further action by this court,” a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit said in the brief order.

The halt of the mandate, which was unveiled this week, is temporary as the case moves forward.

First Liberty Institute represented two large Christian ministries, and a press release stated:

First Liberty Institute petitioned the Fifth Circuit on behalf Daystar Television Network and American Family Association to review the mandate.

“We don’t live in a dictatorship where a President can issue an edict and take over all of the large companies in our nation and the lives of over 84 million Americans,” said Kelly Shackelford, President, CEO, and Chief Counsel for First Liberty Institute. “The mandate is massively unconstitutional and violates statutory law as well. We’re pleased that the Fifth Circuit has stopped it from being implemented.”

The Epoch Times reported that "The case was brought by multiple businesses...; multiple individuals; and several states, including Texas, Utah, and Mississippi."

But the Fifth Circuit is not the only place where the action is. Alliance Defending Freedom reported on its website that in the 11th Circuit, it is representing two Christian schools and said, "The lawsuit—in which ADF attorneys represent the Christian schools, and the attorneys general of the states of Florida, Alabama, and Georgia represent their states as lead petitioners—will explain that the Biden administration lacks constitutional and statutory authority to issue the employer mandate, and that the mandate failed to meet the required procedural hurdles. In short, Florida and the Christian schools argue that the federal government cannot coerce individuals nationwide to undergo medical treatment, and it lacks authority to conscript employers to compel that result."  ADF's website also reported it has cases in the 6th and 8th Circuits.

High court hears arguments on Texas abortion law

You can expect the vaccine mandate to ultimately end up in the U.S. Supreme Court, which had its hands full this past week with yet another appeal of the pro-life law out of the state of Texas, banning most abortions once the heartbeat of an unborn child is detected. The Director of the Center for Human Dignity at Family Research Council, Mary Szoch, made these comments at the Supreme Court: 

"I'm Mary Szoch and this is my son, Joe. Joe is three and a half months old, and in four countries around the world, Joe could have been aborted right up until the moment of birth three and a half months ago. And sadly one of those countries is the land of the free--the United States. But not in Texas. Texas found a way to defend the unborn child in the womb. Texas found a way to say, 'the abortion movement will no longer prey upon our women and children.' And thank goodness, because the world could use a lot more Texans!"

Travis Weber, Vice President for Policy and Government Affairs, Director of the Center for Religious Liberty of Family Research Council, wrote...

...the Court was merely examining two legal questions not directly related to abortion at all:

1) Whether the federal government (in this case the Biden administration Department of Justice) can intervene and sue over a state law like this, and

2) Whether a state can confer upon private citizens the authority to enforce a law like this, while barring the state itself from enforcing it.

The Supreme Court will decide these questions as it determines whether or not the Act can continue to be enforced while the lawsuit filed by the Justice Department can move forward.

Faith plays role in Virginia victories

This week, there was an election in Virginia, and despite claims by some that it was a vote that was representative of "white supremacy," the voters of the Commonwealth delivered a diverse slate for its top three constitutional offices, and GetReligion.org pointed out a Christian faith presence.

It referred to an article at the website, A Journey Through NYC Religions.  In its story on the Virginia elections, it stated (beginning with a reference to Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin):

Youngkin goes to an evangelical Episcopal church Holy Trinity Church and provides a retreat center for FOCUS (Fellowship of Christians in Universities & Schools), an evangelical outreach to prep school students. In UK Youngkin served on the executive committee of Holy Trinity Brompton (the home church of the Alpha course).

The GOP Lt Governor-elect Winsome Sears is an African American who headed a homeless ministry for the Salvation Army (as well as being vice president of the Board of Education for Virginia, an elected official, and a Marine).

Attorney General-elect Jason Miyares is a Latino Christian, a member of Galilee Episcopal Church, an evangelical leaning Episcopal church.

The writer of the article, Tony Carnes, who is also Editor and Publisher of the site, mused: "...underneath, I wonder. did the deep connections to the people in the pews and the balance and gentleness of the Spirit play a role?

Carnes continued:

Or as Youngkin put it with a bit of hyperbole and spiritualized metaphor in his speech last night: “A campaign that came from nowhere. But we were joined by neighbors and friends of all races, of all religions, of all ages, of all political ideologies, and it turned into a movement. This stopped being a campaign long ago. This is the spirit of Virginia coming together like never before.”

Youngkin's website states that he has served on the boards of Museum of the Bible and the Meadowkirk Retreat Center, which is apparently a center that is based on Christian principles. It also notes that has has been Church Warden at Holy Trinity Church.