The 3 - October 16, 2022

This week's edition of The 3, featuring three stories of relevance to the Christian community, features recent instances of companies in the financial services industry that indicated a real concern over examining customers' ideology.  Also, a pro-life group has been exonerated for its free speech activity in front of a Greensboro, NC abortion Clinic.  And, a federal appeals court has upheld the right of a justice of the peace in Texas to host prayers from local ministers at the beginning of court sessions.

Concern over action by financial firms regarding customer ideology

There have been warnings of the possibility of financial services companies taking action against customers who do not hold to an approved ideology.  This is especially concerning in the area of ESG: environmental, social, and governance policies.

The Washington Stand reported that:

At the end of September, popular online payment processor PayPal announced impending updates to their Acceptable Use Policies (AUP). Reported first by The Daily Wire, the policy update stated that it would debit users up to $2,500 if they engaged in banned activity such as “promot[ing] misinformation” or “hate,” effective November 3.

Chris Gacek, senior research fellow for Family Research Council, according to the article, said “People are absolutely correct to be concerned with the proposed policy that was stated,” adding, “I don’t know whether it was accidental or whether it wasn’t. [But] the idea that you could debit a person’s bank account or financial accounts based on some statement or belief that they had that wasn’t in alignment with a company’s view of the world would be not just devastating, it would be devastating in this current environment to conservatives and Christians.”

Then, within days of that announcement, The Christian Post reported that Chase had closed the bank account of a non-profit organization, the National Committee for Religious Freedom, led by former Kansas governor and former Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, Sam Brownback.  The article says:

According to Brownback, after NCRF Executive Director Justin Murff reached out for more information on the move, he was told the decision was made at the “corporate level.”

The article also stated:

After looking further into the issue, a representative from the Chase executive office identified only as “Chi-Chi” contacted Murff and explained that it might be possible to continue the business relationship if NCRF could provide some further details about the nonprofit’s political activities.

Murff told CP that included providing a list of donors who have given more than 10% of NCRF’s operating budget, a list of candidates NCRF intends to support and the criteria which NCRF uses to decide whom it supports politically.

The Christian Post said, "...for Murff, the experience has raised troubling questions about whether this trend could continue — and potentially worsen — in the future."  He asked, “If they can ‘de-bank’ the NCRF, a multi-faith religious nonprofit, what happens when they start 'de-banking' pastors and Christian business people?” 

North Carolina pro-life advocates settle with city over arrest at abortion clinic

A North Carolina-based ministry called Love Life was continuing its pro-life advocacy in front of abortion clinics in the Greensboro area, even during the COVID crisis. City and county officials arrested members of the group, claiming originally that the advocates were violating COVID protocols.  But, as the Alliance Defending Freedom website states:

Love Life members had carefully adhered to all provisions of the proclamation, only engaging in activities that complied with the county’s order. Through the advocacy of ADF, the city finally admitted that “the City of Greensboro issued citations for [Love Life members’] exercise of constitutionally protected First Amendment rights and thereafter arrested [them].”

The city of Greensboro has settled with Love Life, and the ADF website says:

As part of the settlement, the city agreed that the First Amendment protects engaging in pro-life advocacy on public sidewalks and further agreed to uphold citizens’ First Amendment rights in any future proclamation order related to a public-health emergency like COVID-19. Based on the city’s admission of wrongdoing and guarantees of future protections, the pro-life advocates—members of the Christian, pro-life ministry Love Life—agreed to forgo seeking damages from the city. 

Panel of judges defend another judge's right to pray

Wayne Mack is a Justice of the Peace in Montgomery County, Texas, and his practice of inviting community leaders into his courtroom for an opening prayer was challenged by the Freedom from Religion Foundation in 2019, according to a Reuters report cited in a Faithwire article. 

Recently, a federal appeals court, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, ruled that the judge's actions can continue. Faithwire stated that...

...the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals voted 2-1 in favor of Mack, rejecting the FFRF’s claim that invocations could be viewed as prejudicial. The judges ruled Mack can continue allowing chaplains and ministers to pray at the start of legal proceedings as long as he extends the invitation to leaders from different faith backgrounds and does not impose consequences on anyone who declines to participate.

The story notes that the appeals court decision "...comes years after the U.S. Supreme Court decided 5-4 in May 2014 that prayers before government meetings are constitutional. Presumably, court proceedings would fall under that umbrella."  The article relates:

Mack, for his part, said in a statement he is “eternally grateful” for the circuit court ruling.

“I look forward to continuing to serve the people of Montgomery County,” he said.