This week's edition of The 3, with three stories of relevance to the Christian community, features a story of the advance of gambling legislation in Alabama, now having passed the House of Representatives. Also, there is continued legal action regarding Navy SEALS who were denied religious exemptions from being forced to receive the COVID vaccine. And, Tim Tebow's prom night for special needs individuals continued to shine the light of Christ recently.
Alabama House approves gambling legislation
On Tuesday, an Alabama House committee held a public hearing on proposed legislation that would amend the Alabama Constitution, if approved by the voters, that would pave the way for expansion of gambling in Alabama, including casino-style gaming, more casinos, legal sports betting, and a state lottery. It passed the committee in a vote on Wednesday and was approved by the House of Representatives on Thursday - a sweeping expansion that promises much, but will have a high cost to individuals and families in its delivery. The legislation now goes to the Alabama Senate.
Also last Tuesday, there was a press conference that included a number of organizations, including Christian groups, opposed to this legislation. Leaders of the Alabama Policy Institute, Alabama Citizens Action Program, Eagle Forum of Alabama, and the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions were on hand.
The bill now heads to the Senate, and you are encouraged to be in prayer and to reach out to your State Senator, asking him or her to vote against any gambling legislation. You can find information on your senator through the ALCAP and Eagle Forum of Alabama website or by searching for the Alabama Legislature website.
Litigation involving Navy SEALS challenging COVID vaccine mandate continues
Even though the government mandate for military members to receive the COVID vaccine is over, there are still legal issues at play. First Liberty has been involved in addressing the plight of Navy SEALS who applied for, but did not receive, a religious exemption to receiving the shots.
In a recent press release, the Christian legal organization said:
...a federal district court issued an order stating a class action lawsuit initially filed by several Navy SEALs and other Naval Special Warfare personnel against the Navy for punishing servicemembers who had religious objections to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate is not moot and can continue. The court stated that although Congress rescinded the vaccine mandate, the Navy’s “sham” religious accommodation process that it used to punish thousands of sailors is still in place. In other words, the Navy has done nothing to address the source of the problem.
This year's event was hosted on February 9 by 725 churches across 56 countries including several hundred churches in the U.S.Tim Tebow is quoted as saying, "By God's grace, we have seen Night to Shine act as a catalyst, we've seen thousands of people serve with us and help turn Night to Shine into a worldwide movement..." He also noted, "Our hope is that as they walked down the red carpet, or were crowned King or Queen, that they didn't just know love as a concept, but they experienced the love of all the people cheering for them, they experienced the love of Jesus, and walked away knowing full well in their heart they are loved."
Tebow and his wife, Demi, were able to surprise volunteers and guests at seven different Night to Shine locations including events in Guatemala, Belize, Colombia, Brazil, and three different churches in Ohio.
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