This week's edition of The 3 includes more response to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, concentrating on real and potential federal action. Also, another high court decision in the area of religious freedom provided legal relief for a football coach who prayed on the field after games. Plus, the gender ideology continues to influence the Administration, with one federal agency proposing that Title IX, which was designed to promote girls' and women's sports, now allows biological males to compete with females.
HHS reveals action plan on promoting abortion
The U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Dobbs case, overturning Roe vs. Wade, produced a response from federal government officials. Even though the high court stated that the U.S. Constitution did not contain a right to abortion, statements by Administration leaders indicated they would do all that was within their power to ensure that women could continue to terminate their pregnancies.
The Daily Wire reported on a press conference that was held by Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, in which he laid out ways that the Executive Branch would attempt to uphold the so-called "woman's right to choose" abortion. The story related:
The secretary announced the launch of the HHS Reproductive Access Task Force to “plan for every action necessary to protect women’s access to reproductive health care.”
“There is no magic bullet,” he added. “But if there is something we can do, we will find it and we will do it at HHS. Indeed, that was the instruction I received from the President of the United States.”
An official U.S. Government website, reproductiverights.gov, outlines the HHS strategy to promote abortion, including a link through which women can find an abortion provider in their area. The secretary was initially non-committal to establish abortions on federal lands, as well as to use taxpayer dollars to provide transportation for women to travel to other states to get an abortion, if their state does not have an abortion clinic in operation. The Saturday after the ruling, Becerra told an NBC News reporter, according to The Daily Caller: "I always tell my team at HHS ‘if you’ve done your homework, then we have no right to do mild,’ and so we’re going to be aggressive and go all the way … We are looking at every option and among those is transportation.”
Former high school football coach victorious in challenge over midfield prayer
The story of former high school football coach Joe Kennedy has become quite well-known, having been in court for a number of years following his termination for engaging in prayer on the football field following games. He received, at last, relief from the U.S. Supreme Court recently.
CBN News reported on the Court's ruling:
The court pointed out that teachers and students alike still maintain their freedom of speech, even if they're working at a state-funded school.
"When it comes to Mr. Kennedy's free speech claim, our precedents remind us that the First Amendment's protections extend to 'teachers and students,' neither of whom 'shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate,'" the majority opinion stated.
Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote for the majority, “The Constitution and the best of our traditions counsel mutual respect and tolerance, not censorship and suppression, for religious and nonreligious views alike.”
First Liberty represented the coach and on its website, it included a quote from Kelly Shackelford, President, CEO, and Chief Counsel for First Liberty: “This is a tremendous victory for Coach Kennedy and religious liberty for all Americans," adding, “Our Constitution protects the right of every American to engage in private religious expression, including praying in public, without fear of getting fired. We are grateful that the Supreme Court recognized what the Constitution and law have always said – American’s are free to live out their faith in public.” Coach Kennedy is quoted as saying: "This is just so awesome...I thank God for answering our prayers and sustaining my family through this long battle.” He expressed his gratitude "to the Supreme Court, my fantastic legal team, and everyone who has supported us..."
Anniversary of Title IX brings new action on gender ideology from Administration
Recently, President Biden issued an Executive Order that death with different aspects of the gender ideology agenda that embraces so-called "gender identity." The order included opposition to so-called "conversion therapy," which threatens Christian counselors who wish to talk clients through overcoming unwanted same-sex attraction and indicated support for therapies and surgeries that intend to help a person change his or her gender.
The 50th anniversary of Title IX has also led to the opening of another front in promoting this ideology that contrasts with a Biblical worldview perspective. The Christian Post reported:
The U.S. Department of Education has unveiled proposed changes to federal civil rights law to clarify that protections against sex discrimination "include discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity."
The report mentioned concerns "that the Biden administration is working to redefine 'sex' over half a century after Title IX was enacted to protect women from discrimination in education. Progressive organizations celebrated the rule proposal as a 'critical step' in protecting LGBT students from discrimination."
In other words, this new proposal would, in the name of "equality" under Title IX, allow male athletes to compete against female athletes, leading to a marginalization of girls' and women's sports. The Department issued a fact sheet that said these amendments to Title IX "...would make clear that preventing someone from participating in school programs and activities consistent with their gender identity would cause harm in violation of Title IX, except in some limited areas set out in the statute or regulations."
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