The week's edition of The 3, highlighting three recent stories of relevance to the Christian community, includes the Administration's formal response to the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade, in the form of an Executive Order promoting abortion. Also, a number of state executives have issued orders designed to promote abortion; meanwhile, state laws on the subject are becoming more clear. And, the U.S. State Department is reportedly involved in a program to promote "atheism and humanism" overseas.
President issues Executive Order promoting abortion
In the wake of rhetoric denouncing the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and return abortion policy to state legislatures, the Biden Administration, consistent with statements made by its chief health officer, has issued an executive order stating its intent to promote abortion, under the guise of protecting women (but not protecting the unborn).
Live Action reported on the order on its website, stating:
Under the order, access to abortion pills will be expanded, while strengthening enforcement of the Obama Administration’s birth control mandate, and organizing pro bono lawyers to defend anyone facing charges relating to abortion. Additionally, the order will provide $3 million in new funding for family planning organizations, provide leave for federal employees traveling for abortion, and protect access to abortion for female service members in the military.
The website said that the President "also has vowed to see Roe codified into law and appoint pro-abortion judges throughout the country to keep abortion protected."
The response was swift and stern from Christian leaders and organizations. Denise Harle, Senior Counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom and Director of the ADF Center for Life, shares examples of what she contends is disinformation regarding abortion:
...women undergoing abortions already receive the same privacy protections guaranteed by HIPAA as other medical patients, and no one has even suggested outlawing seeking information online about abortion—yet, reading this executive order, you’d think this was happening everywhere.
Harle also notes:
Instead of asking federal law enforcement to investigate and prosecute the recent perpetrators of violence, vandalism, and harassment toward pregnancy care centers and houses of worship, the president is ordering his attorney general to focus on abortion facilities, even though the law requires the U.S. Department of Justice to give equal protection to pro-life and faith-based organizations and churches.
She also states that the Order "violates the constitutionally protected freedom of pro-life doctors to give their patients information on the risks of abortion."
More state abortion laws become clear, governors issue EO's to support abortion
While abortion is being promoted on the federal level through the Executive Branch, state executives are also attempting to flex their muscle on the abortion issue, with several Governors last week issuing Executive Orders of their own. ABC News reports that North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper signed an order that "takes several steps to defend the existing services in North Carolina, including to state that patients who receive abortions or providers who perform abortions will not be penalized or criminalized for providing, receiving or inquiring about reproductive health care services." The ABC report also says that:
Cooper's order establishes that all cabinet agencies, or those who are part of the governor’s office, “should coordinate with each other and pursue opportunities to protect people or entities who are providing, assisting, seeking or obtaining lawful reproductive health care services in North Carolina.”
It's been reported that North Carolina has more permissive laws on abortion that other southeastern states. Other governors, according to ABC that have issued executive orders on the subject include the chief executives of Colorado, Maine, Rhode Islands, and a handful of other states.
Meanwhile, laws to protect life are continuing to go into effect. Liberty Counsel reported that:
Florida’s 15-week abortion ban is now in effect after a court order blocking its enforcement was put on hold this week while Attorney General Ashley Moody swiftly appealed it.
Planned Parenthood and others previously requested that Leon County Circuit Court Judge John Cooper block the 15-week ban, known as HB 5, (which includes exceptions but not in cases of rape, incest or human trafficking) from taking effect, arguing the state constitution guarantees access to abortion. Judge Cooper ruled that the ban violates privacy protections in the state constitution. But that ruling was put on hold as soon as it was appealed.
Other states where life-protecting legislation has gone into effect include Mississippi, where a trigger law passed since the 15-week ban was passed, has been allowed to take effect. Liberty Counsel notes:
Mississippi is one of at least 13 states with “trigger” laws designed to ban or restrict abortions once the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, as it did in a case upholding a different Mississippi law barring abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Other states have pre-Roe laws that remain on the books and will come back into effect now that Roe has been overturned.The website also states that "While judges in Kentucky, Louisiana and Utah have temporarily blocked bans from taking effect, the state high court in Texas has allowed a pre-Roe ban to go into effect, and Ohio’s top court declined to block the heartbeat bill, which bans abortion when a heartbeat is detected, usually around six weeks."
New federal grant program rewards "atheism and humanism"
Intercessors for America has noted that a new grant program based in the U.S. State Department to allegedly promote religious freedom actually promotes "atheism and humanism." The ministry's website states:
Recently the State Department Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor offered a funding opportunity--an open competition for a half-million dollars in taxpayer funding for projects that support global religious freedom. Wow, that sounds like an amazing opportunity except when you see that the "religious freedom" project is to promote atheism and humanism. Our state department is funding people to promote atheism and humanism abroad--all at the expense of taxpayers.The website notes that "Wisconsin Representative Glenn Grothman's office picked up on this egregious anti-Christian promotion and is pushing back on this wasteful and harmful project."
The letter stated, "It is one thing for the Department to be tolerant and respectful of a wide range of belief systems, and to encourage governments to respect the religious freedom interests of their citizens,” adding, “It is quite another for the United States government to work actively to empower atheists, humanists, non-practicing, and non-affiliated in public decision-making.”
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