The 3 - December 25, 2022

This week's edition of The 3, highlighting three stories of relevance to the Christian community, highlights a recent federal appeals court ruling that upheld one state's action of allowing biological males to compete in female sports.  Also, hundreds of instances of violence against churches have been reported, bringing security concerns for the Church.  Plus, a group of lawmakers have challenged officials regarding the military paying for abortion-related services, including transportation of members to other states.

Court rules male athletes can continue to compete against females

In a case out of Connecticut that was spotlighted in a Meeting House conversation with Christiana Kiefer, who is Senior Counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled against four female athletes who were challenging the ability for biological males claiming to be female to compete against them. 

ADF's website reports that the lawsuit was "filed on behalf of four female athletes who were consistently deprived of honors and opportunities to compete at elite levels because the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference adopted a policy that allows males who identify as female to compete in girls’ athletic events..."

Kiefer is quoted as saying: "The 2nd Circuit got it wrong...Our clients—like all female athletes—deserve access to fair competition. Thankfully, a growing number of states are stepping up to protect women’s athletics. Right now, 18 states have enacted laws that protect women and girls from having to compete against males, and polls show that a majority of Americans agree that the competition is no longer fair when males are permitted to compete in women’s sports. Every woman deserves the respect and dignity that comes with having an equal opportunity to excel and win in athletics, and ADF remains committed to protecting the future of women’s sports.”

Hostility against churches continues

We have continued to spotlight acts of violence against pro-life ministries and churches dating back to just after the draft of the majority opinion in the Dobbs case was leaked. In fact, over the past few years, there have been a concerning number of attacks on churches in general, according to a disturbing report by Family Research Council.

In a press release, FRC stated that, "A total of 420 acts of hostility against churches occurred between January 2018 and September 2022 across 45 U.S. states and Washington, D.C." The study also notes, "There were at least 57 pro-abortion acts of hostility against churches from January 2022 to September 2022."

FRC President Tony Perkins stated, "As a former commissioner and chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom..., I've seen the warning signs of this gathering like clouds across the Atlantic. As the mainstream culture moves further and further away from a biblical worldview, I've witnessed the hostility to moral truth creep closer to our shores. The West, once the safe haven of free speech and religion, is turning cold to our religious foundations that have helped us thrive..."

  

He called for the current Administration to "do more" relative to attacks on churches. He added: 

"Christians must not live in fear. We must not be intimidated; we must continue to stand upon the truth of God and defending the freedom of all to live out their faith free from the fear that they will be subject to a violent attack."

The report's author, Arielle Del Turco, Assistant Director of the Center for Religious Liberty at FRC said that, "When faced with such blatant violence and disrespect against churches (and religion more broadly), our response must be to condemn these acts and reaffirm the right of all people to worship and live out their faith freely -- including the freedom to live without fear that they will be the next target of such an attack."

Lawmakers warn Defense Department that federal law prevents it paying for abortions

It is unfortunate and offensive that we have numerous lawmakers across America who support the taking of the lives of unborn children through abortion - and then want taxpayers to pay for it!  A group of members of Congress have taken the Department of Defense to task, sending a letter to the Secretary of Defense calling him out for supporting taxpayer-funded abortion. 

The Daily Signal reports:

“Both the law itself and Congressional intent are clear: the U.S. military may not fund elective abortion,” the bicameral group of lawmakers said in a letter first obtained by The Daily Signal. “This necessarily includes funding for any activity necessitated by the abortion, such as travel and transportation.”

Representatives Chris Smith and Vicky Hartzler and Senators Steve Daines and James Lankford were responsible for the letter, which, according to the article...

...references the Pentagon’s Oct. 20 memorandum announcing that the Defense Department would establish “travel and transportation allowances for Service members and their dependents … to facilitate official travel to access non covered reproductive health care that is unavailable within the local area of a Service member’s permanent duty station.”

The report also notes:

The lawmakers called on Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to explain whether the DOD has begun providing transportation and travel for abortions, and if so, where the money is coming from to fund this “illegal policy.” They also demanded specifics on during “what week gestation would travel and transportation to obtain an elective abortion be provided”—including whether the DOD would implement the illegal policy up until birth.