The 3 - July 28, 2024

This week's edition of The 3, highlighting three stories of relevance to the Christian community, includes the response of Christians to a disturbing expression during the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympic Games in France.  Plus, there is a variety of court actions, including a major settlement announcement between the U.S. Navy and current and former service members who had requested a religious accommodation from the COVID-19 shot mandate. Plus, another court has put new government regulations on Title IX on hold while legal action proceeds.

Christians vocal in opposition to display of drag queens in depiction of DaVinci's "Last Supper"

The Opening Ceremonies of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris featured the athletes in a boat parade on the Seine River, along with a variety of expressions that unfortunately, some regard as "entertainment." As 1819 News put it:

The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Paris, France, started with an immediate controversy after a racy drag queen dance routine and a drag depiction of the Last Supper.

Several events in the opening ceremony drew attention to the Olympics' opening night. Several drag queens carried the Olympic torch, followed by others participating in a flamboyant dance routine. However, the display that drew the most outrage across social media was a tableau of Jesus's Last Supper.

The description went on: "The depiction was a cheap parody of the universally recognized painting by the famed Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci..." It featured a "...tattooed person donning a bedazzled headdress designed to look like a halo."  Also, "Later on, a half-naked man wearing blue paint was lowered onto the table, apparently depicting the Greek god Dionysus."

Alabama U.S. Senator Katie Britt was quick to condemn the display, writing on X: "This was an intentional choice to mock Christianity and Christians," adding, "It's disgraceful. And it's the same kind of bizarre craziness that's being pushed on children and teenagers across America. We need to turn our eyes back to God and restore common sense."

Crosswalk.com ran a story featuring reaction from high-profile Christians, including Jimmy Dykes of ESPN, who wrote on X: "God will not be mocked..."

The article said:

Skillet frontman John Cooper, on Instagram, said the ceremony “mocked Christianity.”

“The 2024 Olympics are mocking the Lord Jesus,” wrote pastor Ted Traylor of Olive Baptist Church in Florida.

This was on X, as well. 

More response from Crosswalk.com:

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio also cited Scripture, writing, “‘In the last time there will be scoffers who will live according to their own godless desires.’ Jude 1:18.”

“Imagine the outcry if the Olympic Games mocked Muhammad the way it is mocking our Lord,” wrote Lila Rose, founder and president of Live Action. “My heart is sad for the mindless hatred that one must have to do this.”

“And now they are openly mocking Christians at the 2024 Olympics opening ceremony,” wrote Kristen Waggoner, president of Alliance Defending Freedom. “There are billions of Christians across the world -- Christians who will compete at the Olympics. This mockery is repugnant.”

That was written on her X feed. 

And, this lack of judgment on behalf of Olympic organizers has resulted in the company C Spire announcing this on X:

We were shocked by the mockery of the Last Supper during the opening ceremonies of the Paris Olympics. C Spire will be pulling our advertising from the Olympics.

Meanwhile, the Olympics spoke out, but an apology seemed to be half-hearted - or less. BBC.com stated:

The ceremony's artistic director, Thomas Jolly, said there was no intention to "mock or denigrate anyone" and explained the scene in question was designed to reference pagan gods.

"Clearly there was never an intention to show disrespect to any religious group," Paris 2024 spokeswoman Anne Descamps told reporters on Sunday.

"On the contrary, I think Thomas Jolly did try to intend to celebrate community tolerance. We believe this ambition was achieved. If people have taken any offence, we of course are really sorry."

Navy SEALS, Special Ops, other members settle with Navy after being rebuffed in COVID vaccine religious accommodation requests

A host of members of the U.S. Navy, including Navy SEALS, Special Operators, and other members of that branch of the military, who had requested religious accommodations exempting them from the military's mandate to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, have reached a settlement in a lawsuit.

First Liberty, which teamed with another firm to represent these service members, said on its website: "Navy service members who refused the COVID vaccine for religious reasons will now have an opportunity to have their records corrected and their careers protected."

The Navy has agreed that the next three promotion boards are mandated not to consider "any adverse information related solely to COVID-19 vaccine refusal in cases in which a religious accommodation was requested..." The website also notes:

Servicemembers who elected to leave service after being mistreated by the Navy will also get their records corrected. The Navy also agreed to post a statement affirming the Navy’s respect for religious service members, provide more training for commanders who review religious accommodation requests, revise a policy related to accommodation requests that was changed during the mandate, and pay $1.5 million in attorneys’ fees.

The Navy will “re-review the personnel records of all Class Members to ensure that the U.S. Navy has permanently removed records indicating administrative separation processing or proceedings, formal counseling, and non-judicial punishment actions taken against the Class Member solely on the basis of non-compliance with the COVID-19 Mandate and adverse information related to non-compliance with the COVID-19 Mandate.”

Victories continue in challenges to administration's Title IX policies

Title IX is described on the Alliance Defending Freedom website as "a federal law designed to create equal opportunities for students in education and athletics."  This is a 50-plus-year old law that prevents discrimination on the basis of sex, but you have people in power that believe that word, "sex," should be redefined to include sexual orientation and gender identity. 

The includes the U.S. Department of Education, which has announced changes to the definition, drawing multiple lawsuits.  Alliance Defending Freedom, so far, has filed five legal challenges, and has received positive rulings so far, including one within the past few days; its website notes that, "A federal district court in Missouri ruled Wednesday to immediately halt the Biden-Harris administration’s illegal rewrite of Title IX while the lawsuit State of Arkansas v. U.S. Department of Education moves forward." The website adds:

...Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys representing Amelia Ford, a high school athlete from Arkansas, joined the states of Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota in a federal lawsuit filed in May against the administration for its attempt to redefine “sex” in Title IX to include “gender identity.”

The article notes that, "Out of five lawsuits in which ADF is involved, this is the fifth injunction halting the administration’s unlawful effort to change Title IX..." ADF Legal Counsel Rachel Rouleau stated: “Girls should know that their safety and privacy are of utmost concern for government officials, and the court’s decision brings them one step closer to that reality,” adding, "The administration continues to ignore biological reality, science, and commonsense, and women are suffering as a result. The court rightly decided to enjoin the administration’s unlawful rule, which will protect fairness, safety, privacy, and free speech for students, teachers, and female athletes.”