The 3 - May 12, 2024

This week's edition of The 3, highlighting three stories of interest to the Christian community, includes news from the Alabama Legislature, where the state Senate rejected legislation that would allow a vote on gambling expansion in the state.  Also, the venerable Boy Scouts of America have announced a name change in the light of an erosion of its founding principles.  And, Christian leaders are continuing to stand with the nation of Israel in its attempt to defeat the Hamas terror group.

Alabama Legislature rejects gambling expansion

As in previous years, most recently in 2021, the Alabama Legislature came down to the last day of the regular session with a gambling proposal needing to pass one chamber.  In this case, a massive gambling package that would provide for a statewide vote on expanded gambling in the areas of casinos, sports betting, and a state lottery passed the Alabama House very quickly, went to the Senate, where the House package was whittled down somewhat in order to satisfy some Senators.  

Having passed the Senate, the legislation went to a conference committee to craft one bill for both chambers to vote on.  The House passed the conference committee version, but the Senate fell one vote short of the 21 votes needed for passage.  On the final day, the House slowed down the consideration of the state education budget in order to allow time for the Senate to try to find a way to 21 votes.  But, it never did.  And, so yet again, the possibility of gambling expansion, complete with its unbiblical baggage and the threat of significant social costs, has failed.

On Friday, the Alabama Citizens Action Program, or ALCAP, sent out an update, which appears at its website. It noted that due to "filibustering and the final push for gambling, several bills that ALCAP supported were on the Senate calendar for a vote but never received debate. These bills include HB111 (Defining Man and Woman in Alabama Law), HB167 (Porn Filter Bill), HB385 (Obscenity Bill), and HB195 (Sex Ed)."

So, due to the thirst by some lawmakers to pass gambling legislation, there were good bills that did not pass the legislature. Some did, but the net effect was that the Legislature spent too much time and attention on gambling, and was hoodwinked into passing insufficient legislation on in vitro fertilization that essentially ignored an Alabama Supreme Court ruling that embryos produced out of IVF are indeed living human beings. Pro-life leaders all across America have called for the legislature to protect these lives.  

Boy Scouts announce name change

The organization that was founded 114 years ago, the Boy Scouts of America, has announced it will be changing its name to Scouting America next February, according to a Newsmax article, which quoted from Franklin Graham, who said, in a tweet:

"Talk about losing your way — that's the @BoyScouts," Graham posted on X. "They want to be more 'inclusive,' so they're changing their name. Being woke isn't the need — staying focused & true to what God calls you to do is what's important."

He added, "They should've just stuck with what they were founded to be 114 years ago...The Boy Scouts Oath says, 'I will do my best to do my duty to God.'" He also stated, "It's no surprise that thousands of parents are choosing other options like @TrailLifeUSA, which is a great Christ-centered alternative."

Trail Life USA was born in response to the Boy Scouts' embracing of unbiblical views of masculinity.  A Daily Citizen article from last summer stated:

As we’ve previously written, “The group had about five million members in the 1970s, with 2.1 million reported in 2019.

“Now renamed Scouts BSA, the organization faced more than 95,000 separate claims of sexual abuse, ranging from 8-year-old boys to men in their nineties. The organization settled for $850 million with one group of victims in July 2021, and for $1.9 million with another group in September of that year.

“In 2013, Scouts BSA went from boys only and reverent toward God to allowing gay-identified boys (2013), then openly gay adult leaders (2015), then girls who identify as transgendered boys (2017), to ultimately allowing girls to join (2017).”

Trail Life CEO Mark Hancock was quoted in the article, saying: “We know that boys and girls are different, and we’re not afraid to say that.” He added, “We are unapologetically Christian...We’re not an outdoor organization that’s having a Christian experience. We are at our core a Christian ministry that uses the outdoors to turn boys into godly men.”

Christian leaders continue to stand with Israel

Because of the Biblical origins of the people of Israel and God's covenant with this special group of people, throughout the years, evangelical Christians have stood with the modern-day nation of Israel, established in 1948 in what has been regarded as a event consistent with Bible prophecy.

Since the October 7 attack by Hamas, Christian leaders have continued to stand with the nation of Israel.  American Christian Leaders for Israel, a sister organization to International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, sent out a press release about a letter signed by a number of high-profile Christian leaders, stating:

One hundred fifty-seven Christian leaders, including Gary Bauer, Troy Miller, Juan Rivera and Star Parker, united under the banner of American Christian Leaders for Israel (ACLI) to write a letter expressing their disappointment with recent actions taken by the Biden administration regarding Israel and warning him that these actions will embolden both nations’ mutual enemies and encourage a course correction. The signatories represent many diverse streams of Christianity and over 60 million Christians across the country.

That press release and the letter, from last month, were attached to an e-mail sent a few days ago referencing the threat by the U.S. administration to withhold assistance for Israel in the battle for the Hamas stronghold of Rafah is the latest in a string of betrayals by the President of this historic ally for the U.S.

Among the previous actions by the U.S. that have produced concern are the following:

• Holding Israel responsible for civilian casualties and drawing moral equivalency between Hamas and Israel noting that Israel warned civilians of the impending attack and advised them of where they could go for safety. Hamas ordered them not to go, making them human shields.
• Accusing Israel of intentionally blocking humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza while ignoring the reality that for years, Hamas had redirected international aid to build rockets and military infrastructure and is currently commandeering aid for their own survival at the expense of the people.
• • Abandoning Israel in the U.N. Security Council, demanding a cease-fire, and initially condemning the planned incursion into Rafah. The administration has stated that it agrees with Israel’s goal of eliminating Hamas. However, this cannot be done without destroying its remaining infrastructure in southern Gaza.

The letter said:

If Israel is abandoned and Hamas’s attack rewarded, it will endanger the safety of the United States. We urgently ask you to:

• Demand that Hamas surrender and immediately release all the hostages.
• Unequivocally support Israel’s effort to completely defeat and eliminate Hamas.
• Reinstate all sanctions against Iran.

By taking these simple steps, the United States can show its support for our longstanding ally, Israel, and signal strength to America’s enemies.