The 3 - July 5, 2020

There was plenty of activity from the U.S. Supreme Court during the past few days, and while the high court did offer some glimmers of hope, two rulings stand out as being disappointing for Christian groups and leaders: the rewriting of civil rights law to include sexual orientation and gender identity under a broadened definition of "sex" and ruling against a LA law requiring hospital admitting privileges for abortion doctors.  But, the court did issue a ruling allowing religious schools to participate in a Montana scholarship program.  And, it sent two Indiana pro-life laws back to an appeals court for another review.  Plus, California has banned singing in church to try to reduce the spread of the Coronavirus.

U.S. Supreme Court rules that religious schools should be eligible in choice programs

In Montana, a state program had forbidden scholarship dollars made available for students to choose private schools from going to religious schools.  According to Family Research Council, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that program to be unconstitutional.

The piece at the FRC site was written by Katherine Johnson and she said that, "More broadly, we are confident that the case sounded the death knell for Blaine Amendments, which are state constitutional provisions that prevent any public aid from being distributed to any schools with a religious affiliation," pointing out that, "Thirty-eight states have Blaine amendments that prevent religious parents and students from using tax credits to sectarian schools."  Johnson points out:

In the majority opinion, the Supreme Court noted the injustice of only allowing students who would use the tax credits towards secular schools to participate in the scholarship programs. This choice forces students to choose between their faith and educational opportunities.

After disappointment in LA case, SCOTUS makes decisions more acceptable to pro-lifers

The Supreme Court, while getting it right on religious freedom, had a chance to reverse a decision from four years ago, when the court at the time struck down a Texas law requiring doctors to have admitting privileges at a local hospital.  With two new justices and a Chief Justice who had voted in favor of that Texas law, you would think that the high court would right its wrong in a similar case out of Louisiana that came before it.

But, as the Christian Post reports, that is not the case. Here's the backstory, according to a Post article:

In 2014, Louisiana passed the Unsafe Abortion Protection Act, requiring abortion providers to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of where they perform the procedure.

The law was blocked from taking effect and a similar law passed in Texas was struck down by the Supreme Court in a 5-3 decision in 2016 known as Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt.

Last October, the Supreme Court agreed to hear an appeal in the case and in March, oral arguments in the case were heard, with both sides holding demonstrations outside the court.

Many considered the case noteworthy since it was the first abortion-related case brought before the Supreme Court since the confirmations of Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.

In a 5-4 decision, the court ruled against the Louisiana law, with Justice Breyer writing the majority opinion: “Those findings mirror those made in Whole Woman’s Health in every relevant respect and require the same result. We consequently hold that the Louisiana statute is unconstitutional.” The article said that Justice Thomas "authored one of the dissents to the court decision, saying that the majority was 'enjoining a perfectly legitimate state law and doing so without jurisdiction.'

Later in the week, though, the high court issued rulings in two cases out of Indiana; the Christian Post reported, "In orders issued Thursday, the high court tossed out rulings against Indiana laws requiring abortion clinic staff to show mothers an ultrasound image of their baby before an abortion is scheduled to be performed, and another requiring parental notification before an abortion is performed on an underage girl."  Those cases will now go back down to the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.  The article stated:

Indiana Right to Life President and CEO Mike Fichter said in a statement released Thursday that he was “cautiously optimistic that the ultrasound and parental notification appeals will find success in the Seventh Circuit.”

California governor to churches: no singing

State officials in California are trying to get a handle on the surge in Coronavirus cases in his state, so they have taken a rather novel approach that has a chilling effect on freedom of speech and religion - just ban singing in churches!  That's right, The Sacramento Bee reports on the state's newest set of guidelines:

Citing the risk of spreading the coronavirus, updated COVID-19 guidelines issued Wednesday by the state Department of Public Health say “places of worship must therefore discontinue singing and chanting activities.”

In previously allowing religious organizations to reopen in late May, the state merely said these institutions should “strongly consider discontinuing singing, group recitation, and other practices and performances.”

The article says:

It remains to be seen if, or how, the state or counties are expected to end singing in houses of worship. Churches were among the most aggressive institutions in pushing back on Newsom’s original stay-at-home order in mid-March. Several sued the governor to overturn the order, saying it violated their First Amendment rights, although none were successful in court.

The 3 - June 28, 2020

On this week's edition of The 3, with three stories of relevance to the Christian community, there is news out of Nigeria, where there have been several attacks on Christian villages.  Also, there is a positive court ruling for New York City residents about the size of gatherings, including churches, during the COVID-19 crisis.  And, in a disappointing development from California, a church has been forced by the city not to be able to worship in its own building.

Concern over Christian persecution in Nigeria

We are continuing to experience a worldwide health crisis, but there is another crisis that continues to proliferate in various parts of the world, as well - that is the virus of Christian persecution, and a government organization that monitors religious freedom around the world is crying foul about what is occurring in the African nation of Nigeria.

Baptist Press reports that:

The Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), a Boko Haram faction, is blamed for three June attacks in Northeast Nigeria that killed at least 121 and injured hundreds of residents of Christian villages, according to news reports. At least 20 Nigerian soldiers were also killed.

The United States Commission on international Religious Freedom (USCIRF) encouraged the Nigerian government to protect religious freedoms under attack there.

The Commission is an arm of the State Department, and made a statement on June 22 about the conditions in that country. Vice Chair Tony Perkins, who heads the Family Research Council, said: "The Nigerian government needs to be doing more to protect the freedom of religion, particularly in the northeast region," adding, "Over two years after ISWAP abducted Leah Sharibu, it is unacceptable to see the group continue to inflict such devastation on the Nigerian people."  Leah was one of 110 girls who were taken from a school in Dapchi in 2018; that ISWAP faction killed four and then released 105, leaving just Leah, who reportedly refused to yield to Islam.

USCIRF Vice Chair Anurima Bhargava stated, "Hundreds have died in recent weeks as ISWAP continues to inflict terror and target civilians based on their beliefs," adding, "Recent ISWAP attacks on innocent civilians are reprehensible. We condemn this deplorable violence."

The Baptist Press article said:

In its 2020 Annual Report, USCIRF urged the U.S. State Department to designate Nigeria a "country of particular concern" and to designate Boko Haram an "entity of particular concern" under the International Religious Freedom Act for "engaging in or tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom."

New York officials overruled by court over gatherings

Throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, there has been tension between governmental leaders and churches regarding restrictions on gatherings. The Christian legal advocacy organization Liberty Counsel reports on a significant ruling by a Federal district judge against officials in the state of New York: Governor Andrew Cuomo, Attorney General Letitia James, and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.  Liberty Counsel states:

Senior U.S. District Judge Gary L. Sharpe issued a preliminary injunction and said that Governor Cuomo is wrong to limit worship services as a “matter of public safety” yet condone mass protests. In awarding the injunction, the court noted that “nonessential businesses” that enjoy a 50 percent capacity limitation are not justifiably different than houses of worship.

The three officials are "enjoined and restrained" from placing restrictions on houses of worship that are in excess of restrictions on other indoor gatherings and from restricting outdoor religious gatherings as long as social distancing guidelines are being followed.

The legal organization reported that Sharpe said that Cuomo and de Blasio "could have just as easily discouraged protests, short of condemning their message, in the name of public health and exercised discretion to suspend enforcement for public safety reasons instead of encouraging what they knew was a flagrant disregard of the outdoor limits and social distancing rules."  Or, they could have remained silent, the judge noted.

California city determines church cannot meet in its own building

It's not related to the Coronavirus, but a church in California has experienced restrictions so excessive that it cannot meet in its own building in Salinas, CA, according to a FoxNews.com story, which reports:

A federal court in the San Francisco Bay Area ruled an evangelical church does not contribute to a city's goals of a vibrant and fun atmosphere, and therefore can be excluded from operating in downtown Salinas, Calif.

The New Harvest Christian Fellowship, a church that rented space along Salinas' Main Street for more than 25 years, purchased a building on that same street in 2018.

The church intended to use the first floor as a worship center, but the city intervened.

The church went to court, and a Federal Magistrate Judge, Susan van Keulen of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, said, according to Fox, that the "church generates limited interest. It does not draw tourists, the court said, and therefore detracts from the city’s goals of 'vibrancy' as well as a 'street of fun..."

Kevin Snider, chief counsel for Pacific Justice Institute, which represents the church, told Fox News that the city "deems churches as less deserving of equal treatment under the law than the live children’s theatre, two cinemas, and event center" that are in the downtown area.

The 3 - June 21, 2020

This week's edition of The 3 features a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court that opens up the language of civil rights law to include sexual orientation and gender identity.  Also, the U.S. Department of Justice is calling for even-handed enforcement of COVID-19 restrictions on social distancing.  And, there is an encouraging story out of a Federal appeals court upholding a Missouri pro-life law.

U.S. Supreme Court redefines the word, "sex" in civil rights law to include sexual orientation and gender identity

In a dramatic 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court, responding to three cases that had been combined, redefined the word, "sex" in Title VII in the 1964 Civil Rights Law to include "sexual orientation" and "gender identity."

Alliance Defending Freedom represented the plaintiff, a funeral home, in one of the cases, involving a male employee who had decided to dress as a woman in greeting guests.  The employee was fired and filed a lawsuit.  ADF, on its website, stated:

The EEOC and the American Civil Liberties Union claimed the funeral home’s decision violated Title VII—a federal law intended to ensure equal opportunities in employment regardless of a person’s race, color, religion, national origin, or sex—by redefining the word “sex” to include gender identity. The Supreme Court concluded that courts and the government may redefine that term in Title VII, even though Congress clearly did not intend that meaning when it wrote the law and is the only body with the constitutional authority to change it.

ADF Vice President of Appellate Advocacy John Bursch stated, "Redefining ‘sex’ to mean ‘gender identity’ will create chaos and enormous unfairness for women and girls in athletics, women’s shelters, and many other contexts. Civil rights laws that use the word ‘sex’ were put in place to protect equal opportunities for women. Allowing a court or government bureaucrats to redefine a term with such a clear and important meaning undermines those very opportunities—the ones the law was designed to protect.”

Family Research Council, on its website, included this quote from its President, Tony Perkins:

"The core issue before the Court in this case was whether it is within the legitimate power of judges to suddenly redefine the meaning of words and rewrite a 55-year-old statute. Sadly, the Court answered in the affirmative.

"Allowing judges to rewrite the Civil Rights Act to add gender identity and sexual orientation as protected classes poses a grave threat to religious liberty. We've already witnessed in recent years how courts have used the redefinition of words as a battering ram to crush faith-based businesses and organizations...

Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the majority opinion in the case.

U.S. Department of Justice urges even-handed enforcement of COVID-19 restrictions

While churches are continuing to reopen during this pandemic and finding some states continuing to place narrow restrictions on these congregations, hundreds and thousands are gathering throughout the nation to protest in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd.  While public, peaceful protesting is generally regarded as an expression of free speech, churches could readily see that their free speech opportunities and freedom of religious expression are being unfairly curtailed.

ChristianHeadlines.com reported:

The Trump Justice Department is pressuring Washington Gov. Jon [sic] Inslee to loosen restrictions on churches by arguing the state’s policy of allowing unlimited peaceful protests while capping houses of worship is discriminatory and likely unconstitutional.

The Department of Justice, in a June 11 Statement of Interest in a Tacoma, Wash., federal court supporting a Washington state church, argues “imposing a hard cap on all religious worship and no cap on secular gatherings constitutes unequal treatment.”

State law had capped outdoor church services at 100 people, regardless of precautions, such as social distancing.  Indoor church services were limited to 25 percent of capacity, with a 50-person limit. The article also says:

U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran of the Western District of Washington said the “ability to gather to express one’s faith and seek comfort is a fundamental right.”

“Just as we have seen peaceful protestors gathered together and exercising their First Amendment rights, so too must we protect the right of religious institutions such as churches, mosques and temples to gather together and express their faith,” Moran said in a statement.  

On Thursday, Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington announced a relaxation of restrictions on church, according to FoxNews.com, which said:

During the new stage, places of worship can accommodate up to 50 percent their normal capacity or up to 400 people, whichever is less, Inslee’s office said Thursday.

This is only for counties qualifying to move into Stage 3 of the reopening process.

Federal court upholds MO pro-life law, concept that life begins at conception

A pro-life law in Missouri providing for informed consent for a woman considering an abortion has been upheld in a Federal appeals court, the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

LifeNews.com reports:

The case — a victory for pro-life advocates, unborn babies and mothers — involves a Missouri informed consent law and a challenge by “Judy Doe,” a member of the Satanic Temple. Doe claimed the law violated her religious freedom because she does not believe that “the life of each human being begins at conception.”

The article relates that the court said, "… a state is free to use ‘its voice … to show its profound respect for’ life...," language that the article says was taken from a U.S. Supreme Court decision.

The 3 - June 14, 2020

In this week's edition of The 3, highlighting three stories of relevance to the Christian community, there is continued action against Christian churches in China, where there continue to be reports of numerous crosses on church buildings being removed.  Church attendance, or lack of it, related to the COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to be an issue, and a Missouri senator is concerned about limitations of church gatherings, even in light of large protests which have not been limited.  And, a denominational report on the Bible's teaching on sexuality has been released.

More crosses coming down in China

One of the troubling news stories that we have seen concerns the removal of crosses in the nation of China. The Christian Post reports that in just one Chinese province in the first four months of 2020, in excess of 250 crosses were removed.  The article, released last Thursday, says that the publication Bitter Winter...

...reported on Tuesday that the 250 crosses were removed from churches affiliated with the Three-Self Patriotic Movement in cities that include but are not limited to Lu’an, Ma’anshan, Huaibei and Fuyang.

One of the churches that had its cross removed from outside its building is The Gulou Church in the center of Fuyang city, a Protestant church that dates back over a century.

The church had its cross taken down on April 2 after over 100 congregation members tried to stop authorities from removing the cross from the church the previous day.

The article states:

One congregation member told the magazine that local officials told the church members that the cross' removal was done in accordance with a national policy requiring the removal of all religious symbols, not just Christianity.

The Christian Post pointed out that the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, an arm of the State Department, "In its 2020 annual report...noted that not only have authorities removed crosses from churches across the nation but they have also banned youth under the age of 18 from participating in religious services."

Church worship continues to encounter legal issues

The move to reopen churches across the nation has progressed slowly, and not without some bumps in the road.  Locally, concern over the growing number of Coronavirus cases in the River Region has resulted in some churches perhaps considering a slower phase-in of a return to worship than had originally been planned.  And, in Lexington, KY, a church that had re-opened has closed in-person services due to a spike in cases among church members.  The Courier-Journal reported:

Clays Mill Baptist Church in Jessamine County, Kentucky, has temporarily halted in-person worship services after at least 18 members recently tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

But pastor Jeff Fugate, who stood alongside Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron in April and called for Gov. Andy Beshear to lift restrictions on in-person worship, stressed there is "no indication" anyone contracted the virus while at church.

And, the governor and pastor traded comments early last week, with the newspaper saying, quoting the governor:

"I hope that everybody (who) tested positive from services at Clays Mill has seen or talked to a doctor," Beshear said near the end of his daily briefing on the coronavirus situation in Kentucky. "We want all of you to be OK."

Beshear then mentioned how Fugate stood with Cameron in April and said, "Governor, we can do this safely."

"Well, he couldn’t," Beshear said.

Fugate responded to Beshear in a Facebook post Monday night, telling the governor his statement earlier in the day was "wrong."

The pastor wrote: "There is no evidence that anyone contracted the virus at our church. That was only an 'insinuation' by the media," adding,"They may have got the virus at a grocery store or another place of business that they had visited. ... Your bias and misinformation against 'church' is too obvious."

And, U.S. Senator Josh Hawley from Missouri is asking the Department of Justice to look into why churches are still facing restrictions in the size of gatherings while peaceful protesters are apparently not being required to abide by those limits.  The Washington Examiner reports that:

In a Tuesday letter, the Missouri Republican decried a double standard in closing churches and limiting the number of people allowed to attend services while protesters have been permitted to gather in large crowds across the country after George Floyd's death in police custody.

"State officials have violated the free speech and free exercise rights of religious Americans by treating religious gatherings and speech differently than the speech and mass gatherings of protests," he wrote. "I urge you to launch a full civil rights investigation."

Hawley said he supports the right of people to protest peacefully but asked for equal treatment for those seeking to worship in a physical space.

The day before the Senator released the letter, Attorney General Barr, according to the Examiner, "said First Amendment rights need to apply equally to everyone, whether they are protesters against police violence or churchgoers looking to worship together."

Presbyterian Church in America offers report on sexuality

The movement within the evangelical church that exalts "gay identity" over identity in Christ, expressed in a visible way through the Revoice conference, has led the denomination in which the two previously-held conferences originated, the Presbyterian Church in America, to issue some strong statements on a Biblical view of sexuality.

The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, on its website, offered a summary, written by Colin Smothers, who wrote:

Last year in Dallas, amidst an ongoing controversy surrounding Side-B “Gay Christianity” and the Revoice conference, the Presbyterian Church in America’s (PCA) General Assembly voted to commend CBMW’s Nashville Statement as a “biblically faithful declaration.” The General Assembly also voted to form a study committee that would “study the topic of human sexuality with particular attention to the issues of homosexuality, same-sex attraction, and transgenderism and prepare a report.”

Even though the PCA did not hold its General Assembly this year, it did release a report, which Smothers describes as a "biblically faithful declaration."  Some of the highlights include:

• Declares same-sex attraction to be morally culpable: “The experience of same-sex attraction is not morally neutral; the attraction is an expression of original or indwelling sin that must be repented of and put to death” (Statement 4).
• Rejects “gay Christian” identity: “[W]e name our sins, but are not named by them.” (Statement 9). “We affirm that those in our churches would be wise to avoid the term ‘gay Christian'” (Statement 10).

The document also "Affirms all desire for sin is sin, including unconscious and unwanted desire," declares that "internal temptations to same-sex desire are sinful.." and "Rejects celibate same-sex partnerships and romantic relationships..."

The 3 - June 7, 2020

On this week's edition of The 3, there is plenty to discuss on the topic of race relations, and this week, that topic is explored and how the Church, the body of Christ, has been responding.  Also, the President has issued a new Executive Order setting aside millions of dollars for the cause of international religious freedom. And, the state of Illinois has apparently converted mandates to guidelines in the area of religious freedom in reopening churches.

Church responds to racial unrest

This time of turmoil in our nation gives the Church an opportunity to speak Biblical truth into the difficulties that we face.  One example is that a church in Beltsville, MD, in the Washington, DC area, hosted a "listening session" with none other than the Vice President, Mike Pence.  The Christian Post reported on the event, which was hosted by Hope Christian Church, pastored by Bishop Harry Jackson, who said that the death of George Floyd...

...was almost prophetic and symbolic of a time and season that change had to come," adding, "Black and whites came together to address the civil rights movement, and we found momentum. I think we will similarly find momentum during this time."

Jackson also said, "This administration didn't create this problem, but it has the opportunity to help us heal."  The Vice President said, "I couldn't help but feel that as our nation reels from the tragic death of George Floyd, that a place to start a conversation is a place of worship," adding, "It's the wellspring of our nation's strength...It's been the wellspring of our national unity and our steady march toward a more perfect union."

The Post stated:

The recommendations that came out of the event included ensuring that black youth feel heard and acknowledged; leaders of faith use their platforms to address race; funding and resources for historically black colleges and universities to increase; tackling criminal justice reform; and providing more practical, hands-on training, evaluation, and accountability for police officers.

Churches are being involved in calling for national healing, and participating in rebuilding their neighborhoods. The American Conservative featured a piece by Chicago pastor Corey Brooks, who wrote:

On the south side of Chicago, where I pastor a church and lead a ministry, Project H.O.O.D., we are in the business of building dialogue as the way of rebuilding our community. We help build community leaders and we equip our neighbors—especially young black men who are exiting gangs—to build their own character and to help rebuild the streets. We build self-esteem and respect for our fellow man. And we build stronger families with firmer foundations.

The destructive violence, rioting, and looting of the last few days, however, have quickly erased years of our dialogue.

Brooks' church members have been helping resident find needed supplies.  He echoes a cry for justice and better relationships with police; but rather than pull back on policing, as some have advocated, the pastor says:

We need justice in the George Floyd case, and we need assurances that these hateful acts will not take place again. At the same time, we need partnerships with the police so they will help us re-establish law and order in our neighborhoods.

A story on the Western Journal website describes the scene in Phoenix last week, as about a thousand Christians gathered for a time of prayer.  The article quoted from one of the organizers, Kimberly Deckel, who said: “I think sometimes we — it’s such a simple thing — we forget the importance of praying and gathering together to do that,” adding, “Just, yeah, the power of being a collective witness and praying and crying out together to show we are in solidarity with those who are suffering.” The article noted that, "The crowd gathered at Neighborhood Ministries, an inner-city ministry dedicated to meeting 'basic necessities of life' for those living in poverty."

In the River Region, ministers in Prattville participated in a time of prayer this past Friday, and the monthly O.U.R. Montgomery prayer event featured a gathering in downtown Montgomery on Saturday, where prayers were offered for racial reconciliation.

President issues Executive Order on international religious freedom

The Trump Administration has taken actions for the last three years in the interest of religious freedom, and this past week, the President signed an Executive Order regarding international religious freedom, according to CBN, which reported: "In the Oval Office, Trump signed an executive order that appropriates $50 million for programs that advance international religious freedom around the world."

The article relates:

Under the order, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will develop country-specific action plans for prioritizing religious freedom.

To top that, all personnel assigned to positions overseas will now receive international religious freedom training.

U.S. Ambassador for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback stated, "It makes international religious freedom a whole of government approach on our basic foreign policy apparatus..."

Illinois lifts restrictions on churches

The state of Illinois has gained a reputation over the last few weeks for having some of the most restrictions on the reopening of churches, but Governor J.B. Pritzker made a stunning about-face just last week, according to Liberty Counsel, which reported on May 28 that:

Within a few hours yesterday after two Romanian churches filed an emergency injunction pending appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, Justice Kavanaugh ordered Gov. Pritzker to respond by 8:00 p.m. Thursday night. Just before the deadline, Gov. Prtizker issued “guidelines” for houses of worship, none of which are mandatory.

Liberty Counsel represents Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church and Logos Baptist Ministries.

As Liberty Counsel points out, "The guidelines are only suggestions and contain no legally enforceable requirements whatsoever. The governor is no longer imposing his draconian 10-person limit on church services."  The city of Chicago had threatened these two churches with "summary abatement," which could have resulted in churches who are deemed to be in violation to be shut down - permanently.  Just this week, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot had issued a set of guidelines for area churches; NBC 5 Television reported:

Under the "Be Safe. Places of Worship" guidelines, churches are required to only allow a maximum of 50 congregants per room or 25% of a room's capacity as long as social distancing can be maintained, according to a news release.

The 3 - May 31, 2020

This has been a turbulent week across our land, and this week's edition of The 3 begins to spotlight some response in the Christian community to the death of George Floyd on the streets of Minneapolis.  Also, California churches made good on the promise to meet in-person on Sunday, regardless of the state governor's orders.  And, President Trump took action against social media censorship this week, an issue that has been of great concern to Christians.

California churches reopen despite governor, SCOTUS rebuffs

A consortium of California churches had declared that this past Sunday, Pentecost Sunday, would be the date that they would resume worship services.  An appeals court decision prior to Memorial Day had upheld Governor Gavin Newsom's almost-total ban on churches meeting together and the governor had held out a short olive branch on Memorial Day, saying churches could meet at 25% capacity, but no more than 100 people could gather in any one service.

Then, the U.S. Supreme Court dealt a blow to churches desiring to see Newsom's stance overriden.  According to NBC 4 Television:

On Friday a sharply divided U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to uphold the restrictions on religious gatherings imposed by Newsom during the COVID-19 pandemic and denied an injunction sought by a church in Chula Vista.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts voted with liberal justices Elena Kagan, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor and Stephen Breyer to deny an injunction sought by South Bay United Pentecostal Church and its senior pastor, Bishop Arthur Hodges III, that alleged state and local elected officials have “intentionally denigrated California churches and pastors and people of faith by relegating them to third-class citizenship.”

More than 1500 church leaders had signed on to a "Declaration of Essentiality," which involved churches meeting this past weekend.  A large Southern California church, Harvest Christian Fellowship, where Greg Laurie is the pastor, was taking reservations for congregants at two of its locations. Laurie tweeted out: "It’s Pentecost Sunday! Welcome back to Church!"

President issues order designed to reduce social media censorship

For years, Christians and conversatives have been documenting and decrying instances of censorship by social media companies.  National Religious Broadcasters, in fact, had formed Internet Freedom Watch to bring awareness to this ongoing problem.

And, President Trump, after having several of his tweets labeled by Twitter to be non-factual, issued an executive order that is attempting to curb the action of Twitter and other companies, which have been enjoying an exemption under Federal law from possible litigation because they have set themselves up as a neutral carrier of information.

CBN News reported:

"They’ve had unchecked power to censor, restrict, edit, shape, hide, alter virtually any form of communication between private citizens or large public audiences," Trump said of social media companies as he signed the order. "There is no precedent in American history for so small a number of corporations to control so large a sphere of human interaction.”

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany also explained in advance, "The President will take action so that big tech does not stifle free speech and that the rights of all Americans to speak and tweet is protected."

NRB issued a press release, which said that the consortium of Christian communicators, "is encouraged that President Trump’s Executive Order and proposed legislation are opening up an important conversation about the threats posed by powerful social media companies that often censor opinions with which they disagree."

The release says that among other things, "The President also called for clarification of the scope of the immunity from liability created by section 230(c) of the Communications Decency Act, which facilitates internet companies’ 'Good Samaritan' blocking of offensive content by defending them from lawsuits based on content their moderation efforts may have missed."

Christian leaders respond to George Floyd death

There has been much response from Christian leaders about the brutal death of George Floyd, who, according to a Religion Unplugged story from which I quoted Friday, was involved in ministry in a Houston community and was influential in helping Christian leaders to do ministry in the area.

In response, Franklin Graham called for a Day of Prayer on Sunday, according to BillyGraham.org, which quoted from a Facebook post from the evangelist:

We need to pray for PEACE, because “the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:20). Pray for PERSPECTIVE, because “the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17).

Pray for PATIENCE, because of God’s “kindness and forbearance and patience” toward us all (Romans 2:4). And pray for an OUTPOURING of His wisdom and direction for our leaders and officials who are dealing with this crisis. Ask God to change hearts and heal this divide in our nation.

The article also mentioned that Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplains had been deployed to the area. BillyGraham.org website pinpointed a prayer effort in Minneapolis:

Pastor Herman Colón and his wife Yolandita led a prayer and worship service in the parking lot of their church only blocks away from boarded-up and graffitied businesses.

Pastors of various denominations took turns praying—some in person and some by phone over a loud speaker. Dozens worshipped, crying out to God.

Every now and then, a burning smell wafted over the crowd. The fourth day of protests were starting nearby.

“[God] You put us up—a watchman on a wall, and we have failed,” a Canadian pastor prayed by phone, his voice carried over the loud speaker.

“Father, forgive us because now we see a city that is running around without direction.”

A Twitter post that was disseminated from John Mason featured a short video of a prayer meeting in Minneapolis. One of the notable statements about the tragedy came from legendary coach and Faith Radio programmer Tony Dungy, who said:

As I have watched the events in Minneapolis unfold the last few days I have wondered & prayed about how I should respond. Below are my thoughts. I hope you read the whole thing because the final thought is most important. Romans 12:21 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/9uTtk0R9gW

— Tony Dungy (@TonyDungy) May 29, 2020

The 3 - May 24, 2020

In this edition of The 3, with three stories of relevance to the Christian community, there is good news concerning an American pastor who was detained in India for over half a year, who has recently been released.  Also, one of the familiar names in the pro-life movement has been mischaracterized in a television documentary, say some who knew her well.  And, a Mississippi church that had sued its city regarding worship services during COVID-19 was apparently burned by arsonists.

American pastor held in India released

An American pastor who had been detained in India and held in prison for seven months has finally been released, according to a story on the ChristianHeadlines.com, which reported on what had happened to Bryan Nerren of Shelbyville, TN, who leads Asian Children’s Education Fellowship.  The article states:

According to The American Center for Law & Justice (ACLJ), a Christian advocacy non-profit law group which has been representing Nerren, noted that the pastor was detained and arrested upon his arrival at the airport in Bagdogra, India for allegedly “evading a duty on funds.” Nerren was carrying a sum of money that he intended to use to cover the expenses of his trip and the conference, but according to the ACLJ, the sum was not enough to make transporting it a crime.

Nerren had declared the funds when he flew into New Delhi, but when he arrive in Bagdogra, he was arrested and held until his release on May 15.  The article notes:

Nerren garnered the support of U.S. Congress members, the State Department, the U.S. Embassy and the National Security Council.

More than 200,000 ACLJ members also signed a petition urging for Nerren to be released and allowed to return home.

Friends defend pro-life stance of "Jane Roe" of Roe v. Wade

The late Norma McCorvey is an icon in the pro-life movement - she was the "Jane Roe" in the landmark Supreme Court case, Roe v. Wade, and professed Christianity, was baptized by Flip Benham, father of Jason and David, and spoke on behalf of the unborn.

Now, the FX documentary, AKA Jane Roe, is claiming that McCorvey said it was all an act.  The
New York Post reported that McCorvey said late in life:

“I took their money and they took me out in front of the cameras and told me what to say,” she says, without specifying.

“I did it well too. I am a good actress. Of course, I’m not acting now.”

According to the documentary, she said that it essentially didn't matter to her whether or not a young lady wanted to have an abortion.

McCorvey was on staff of Operation Rescue after her embrace of pro-life principles. A press release on the Christian Newswire website quotes current president Troy Newman:

"I knew Norma well, and at one time, she lived with my family in the Wichita, Kansas, area for several months. I knew her to be a straightforward, down-to-earth woman who was witty and kind. She loved children and adored my own five children," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "There is no way her Christian faith or her pro-life beliefs were false. The makers of 'AKA Jane Roe' should be ashamed that they took advantage of Norma in the vulnerable last days of her life, then released their spurious movie after she passed away when she could not defend herself."

Another press release on the Christian Newswire website, from The Justice Foundation, quoted from its Founder and President Allen Parker, who said, "In view of my many conversations with Norma and considering the sworn testimony she provided to the Supreme Court, I believe the producers of the newly-released FX documentary 'AKA Jane Roe' paid Norma, befriended her and then betrayed her. This documentary can not be trusted and the perception it attempts to create around my friend and former client, Norma, is patently false."

The release pointed out several facts that contradict the narrative of the FX documentary:

• Norma's sworn testimony provided to the Supreme Court details her efforts to reverse Roe v. Wade.

• Norma changed her mind from being pro-abortion to being pro-life after working in the abortion industry. The actual reality of the callous disregard for women led her to change her mind on abortion.

• Once she became pro-life, Norma fought to the end of her life with all of the power and effort she could muster to reverse Roe v. Wade, including asking the Supreme Court to hear her case again. McCorvey's arguments in her Rule 60 Motion which she filed have still not been ruled on by the Court to this day.

• Norma McCorvey loved the women of Operation Outcry, the women who had been injured by abortion and who helped Norma collect testimonies of women injured by abortion.

• Every year on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, she felt the grief, sorrow and burden of another million babies killed in America. Even though she knew she was forgiven, still felt legally responsible for the deaths. She felt used and abused by the legal system, including her lawyers and the Supreme Court.

Mississippi church vandalized

A few weeks ago, a Bible study at the First Pentecostal Church in Holly Springs, Mississippi was raided by police based on the city's Coronavirus restrictions and the church filed suit against the city, according to the Daily Citizen website of Focus on the Family, which reported that:

A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order allowing the church to hold drive-in services, and the city agreed to revise its ordinance to permit them. The state and local ban on in-church services, however, remained.

This past week, the church burned to the ground; arson is suspected.  The Daily Citizen notes that:

Spray-painted on the parking lot in front of the destroyed house of worship were the words: “Bet you stay home now, you hypokrits.”

The article says that the pastor is perplexed over who would commit such a heinous act.  Bruce Hausknecht of Focus on the Family, who wrote the Daily Citizen article, stated:

It’s hard to believe that anyone could commit such an unspeakable act of domestic terrorism simply as an objection to Christians wanting to meet to together in worship, but that’s what it looks like at this point.

We need to pray that the perpetrator will be found and brought to justice, and for the congregation’s needs to be met as it rebuilds, and that ultimately the name of Jesus be glorified through this situation.

Meanwhile, this past Friday, a three-judge panel of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld California Governor Gavin Newsom's order that keeps churches from reopening for in-person worship in the state.  According to the website of Grace Community Church, pastored by John MacArthur:

Late Friday night, the Ninth Circuit, which is generally known as the most left-wing and anti-biblical circuit court in the nation, ruled 2-1 in favor of California Governor Newsom's statewide stay-at-home order, rejecting an emergency motion to allow for religious services to proceed.

To say that we strenuously disagree with this decision would be an understatement. All credible data show that this coronavirus is far less dangerous than initially projected, even while the economic, mental, and spiritual toll of an extended lockdown order is far more dangerous. Meanwhile, although the initial response arguably might have been somewhat even-handed, as the situation has developed, religious organizations have increasingly been unfairly treated, even targeted.

The church was originally planning to resume in-person worship this past Sunday, according to a tweet from Phil Johnson of Grace to You and changed direction after the ruling.

The 3 - May 17, 2020

This week's edition of The 3 includes a positive court ruling involving a San Diego church that had fought a government order to include abortion in its health care plans.  Plus, there is more news about the reopening of churches, including some who have gone to court and others who have decided to reopen, even though state orders do not permit it.  And, we are reminded that Christian persecution is continuing, including violence in India against Christian believers.

San Diego church is victorious in challenge to law forcing it to include abortion in health plan

In 2014, the California Department of Managed Care sent out letters with a requirement that church health care plans cover abortions.  Skyline Wesleyan Church in San Diego, which was pastored by Jim Garlow at the time (and John Maxwell before that), filed a lawsuit to challenge this decision by the Department to erase religious exemptions to the directive to include abortion.

The Alliance Defending Freedom represented Skyline, and at its website, it states:

After ADF attorneys filed the lawsuit Skyline Wesleyan Church v. California Department of Managed Health Care, the district court denied the church’s request for relief. The church then appealed to the 9th Circuit.

In January, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights issued its determination that the mandate violates federal law.

Recently, the 9th Circuit ruled in favor of the church in its lawsuit; ADF reports that, "The 9th Circuit recognized that Skyline Church suffered an injury when the state issued its August 2014 letters mandating that church healthcare plans cover elective abortions."

North Carolina churches set to reopen after court strikes down governor's order

With churches across the Faith Radio broadcast area and across the nation putting their reopening plans into place, we can see that churches are challenging laws that restrict their First Amendment freedoms - in a number of these cases, they have been successful.

One of the most recent is in the state of North Carolina, where, according to ABC 15 News:

This weekend a federal judge approved a restraining order that will allow houses of worship all across North Carolina to reopen.

The lawsuit was filed Thursday as the Governor pleaded with churchgoers to keep the faith in his leadership amid a growing chorus of challenges to his executive orders. This included an additional lawsuit filed in court and another group threatening litigation.

Governor Roy Cooper has said that he would not appeal the order, which has a 14-day maximum.  This comes on the heels of a rally that occurred in Raleigh last Thursday, according to WRAL Television, which reported: "The group leading the charge, Return America, is led by pastors and Christian educators...During the rally, the group announced that they had filed a lawsuit against Cooper over not allowing indoor assemblies at churches...Those filing the suit say the state's restrictions violate the First Amendment and treat churches differently from retailers."  The governor had fixed a 10-person limit to indoor gatherings.

David Gibbs, Jr. of the Christian Law Association, heard on The Legal Alert, was involved in filing the lawsuit, and said, "We have the ability to open our churches safely, with higher standards than they are asking us to do..."

This was also the weekend that the Peaceably Gather movement was involved in reopening churches, led by Pastor Brian Gibson of HIS Church in Owensboro, KY, according to ChristianHeadlines.com, which reports that the movement "has attracted the support of nearly 50 pastors at churches in a dozen states who have signaled they will gather their congregations for an in-person service."  It's been reported the church has two locations in Kentucky and two in Texas.

And, recently a group of California pastors have declared they will reopen May 31, which is Pentecost Sunday, whether or not Governor Gavin Newsom has issued an order allowing them to do so; The Christian Post reports:

Church United, a network of approximately 3,000 churches representing 2.5 million members in the Golden State, has announced its intentions to reopen before the state sets in motion the third phase of its reopening plan, which permits modified reopening of houses of worship.

Jack Hibbs, Pastor at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills told the Post: "...we have been extremely compliant for over two months, our state, when petitioned, when we asked our governor's office: 'Where are you placing the value of the church? The fact that we provide mental and spiritual health and stability at such a critical time, where do you place us in priority?'"  The article goes on to say:

Thus far, the governor's office has said that the church may be in the third or fourth phases of reopening, which could begin anywhere from a few weeks to months from now. His words have left some wondering if it will ever be politically correct for churches to resume services.

Christians in India face violence for their faith

During our current health crisis, we recognize that not only are Christian believers affected around the world, but there are those who being persecuted for their faith.  Case in point: in the nation of India, where a CBN News article recently reported on how five Christian families in Chhattisgarh state on May 5 were attacked because, as the story states, "The Christians had forbidden a tribal animist leader, Dulla Poyami, to perform tribal worship on their land."

The Christians attempted to meet with the village leaders; an MSN report quotes a local pastor - the article says:

"The village leaders told the Christians, 'You are not partaking in our tribal rituals, and so we cannot allow you to profit from your agricultural lands,'" according to the pastor.

CBN relates that:

The elders then stood up and attacked two of the Christians, Madda Poyami and Badda Poyami. As they began beating on the two men, a mob of about 60 people encircled the families, telling them they must give up their Christian faith.

Poyami was also stoned, according to Morning Star News. He was later admitted to a local hospital. Six others were also injured.

Alliance Defending Freedom International got involved in helping the villagers file a complaint with the local police.  Meanwhile, another group of Christians was mobbed because they tried to bury one of their own in the local graveyard.  ADF International became involved and secured police protection for the funeral service. 

The 3 - May 10, 2020

This week's edition of The 3 features news out of New York City, where Samaritan's Purse is closing out its work there.  Also, a large Texas church is one of the churches in the U.S. that has resumed in-person services, taking necessary precautions to help ensure the health of its attendees.  And, an ordinance granting special classes for sexual orientation and gender identity has received a state appeals court ruling against it.

Samaritan's Purse phasing out field hospital in NYC

The Samaritan's Purse field hospital in Central Park is no longer accepting new COVID-19 patients, according to NBC 4 News in New York. The station reports that a spokesperson for Mt. Sinai Hospital, which had partnered with Samaritan's Purse, said: "In March, with the survey in critically ill COVID patients growing, NY hospitals were tasked with growing their capacity 50%. Now that the surge in hospital admissions is reaching manageable levels, we will stop admitting new patients to the Central Park field hospital as of May 4."

However, the reporter who filed the story, in a Tweet posted in the story, indicated that an unnamed source told her that Samaritan's Purse would be leaving over concerns over their views on LGBTQ individuals. Samaritan's Purse is a Christian organization but does not deny treatment to anyone.  The article says that, "Local officials, including City Council Speaker Corey Johnson, had called on Mount Sinai Hospital to close the field hospital over Samaritan's Purse's practice of requiring staff to sign a pledge against same-sex marriage."

Todd Starnes, writing at ToddStarnes.com, quoted the City Council speaker: 

“It is time for Samaritan’s Purse to leave NYC,” said New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson. “This group, led by the notoriously bigoted, hate-spewing Franklin Graham, came at a time when our city couldn’t in good conscience turn away any offer of help. That time has passed.”

Johnson, a notorious anti-Christian bigot, said the ministry’s continued presence in New York City “is an affront to our values of inclusion, and is painful for all New Yorkers who care deeply about the LGBTQ community.”

State Senator Brad Hoylman is quoted by Starnes, as well, saying: “It was bad enough that Donald Trump’s failure to prepare the nation for this pandemic forced New York to accept charity from a bigot like Franklin Graham,” adding, “Inviting Graham to stay on longer is an insult to LGBTQ New Yorkers and sends the dangerous message that homophobia and transphobia are acceptable.”

Apparently, those who worked with Samaritan's Purse in New York City, as well as others in the health care field, will be required to pay state income tax, according to FoxNews.com, 
which reported:

The issue first arose when Samaritan’s Purse was setting up its emergency field hospital, according to New York City-based PIX11 News. The charity’s comptroller noticed that a New York state law requires anyone working in the state for more than 14 days to pay income tax.

Governor Andrew Cuomo responded, saying: “We're not in a position to provide any subsidies right now because we have a $13 billion deficit,” adding, “So there's a lot of good things I'd like to do, and if we get federal funding, we can do, but it would be irresponsible for me to sit here looking at a $13 billion deficit and say I'm gonna spend more money, when I can't even pay the essential services.”

Church reopening provides model for future

Across the nation, churches are beginning to plan for their reopening - a number of states have relaxed restrictions on in-person church gatherings, but that does not necessarily mean that churches are moving forward with opening up their worship centers to congregants, taking a prudent approach: just because the government says you can doesn't mean you should - just yet.

But, a Texas church has provided what could be considered a template for church reopening.  Ed Young is the senior pastor of Fellowship Church in Grapevine, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, and the son of longtime Second Baptist Church of Houston pastor Ed Young.  The Christian Post reported on what things were like on the first Sunday of May:

The church has the capacity to hold roughly 4,000 people, but it planned to limit the attendance at the sanctuary to 25 percent to voluntarily follow the restaurant guidelines. And for that, the megachurch had asked congregation members to make reservations. Those who attended also were asked to wear face masks, in accordance with CDC guidelines.

The church also had planned to disinfect the church and park vehicles in every other space. Young's sermon was on "the new normal," according to the Post, which stated: "Young preached about essential lessons that God is teaching Christians during this time of social distancing, helping them change the way they view change."

Former sportswriter George Schroeder, who now serves in leadership for and writes for Baptist Press, covered the re-opening, stating:

"People desire this," Young said. "It's the physicality of the church. We love online church. We've been online for a long time. The numbers are ridiculously big, and that's great. But there's nothing like the physicality (of gathering)."

And the depth of emotion of those who gathered was surprising, according to John Cross, president of C3 Global and C3 Conferences, a ministry of Fellowship Church designed to equip and encourage pastors to grow the local church.

"There were people weeping with joy because, 'We get to worship in person,'" Cross said. "Albeit with social distancing and (adhering to) CDC guidelines, there's still something so special and exciting about being together as God's people. That totally was amazing to me."

Opponents of Jacksonville human rights ordinance win court victory

A Florida appeals court has ruled in favor of challengers to a Human Rights Ordinance in Jacksonville, one of these local pieces of legislation granting special status to individuals based on "sexual ordination" or "gender identity (SOGI)."  Liberty Counsel represented, according to its website, "Jacksonville residents and businesses in their challenge to invalidate an amendment to the HRO, because its authors and sponsors illegally hid the effects of the ordinance through intentionally deceptive drafting and messaging."

After defeats twice at the trial court level, the case was appealed, and the unanimous ruling was rendered. Roger Gannam of Liberty Counsel said: “This decision exposes the deception of the HRO authors and sponsors and rejects the city’s attempt to cover it up with its own deception in the form of clever procedural maneuvers in the city council. A city ordinance that cannot be passed openly and honestly is good for no one. The fair and honest people of Jacksonville should not be forced to participate in others’ celebrations of same-sex relationships under threat of fines or loss of their businesses, and Jacksonville’s women and young girls should feel safe from predatory men in their own restrooms and facilities..."

The 3 - May 3, 2020

On this week's edition of The 3, with three stories of relevance to the Christian community, there is good news out of Kentucky, where a Federal appeals court has allowed a Louisville church to meet this weekend, despite restrictions that have been handed down by the state's governor.  Also, a Tennessee city has reversed its previous ban on drive-in worship services.  Plus, a Federal judge in California has directed individuals involved in exposing Planned Parenthood's abhorrent dealing in the body parts of aborted babies to pay stiff fines in excess of a million dollars.

Federal appeals court issues ruling favoring Kentucky church, state attorney general sides with congregation

A church in Kentucky that was visited by Kentucky state troopers handing out citations and quarantine demands received some court relief over the weekend, according to the website for Liberty Counsel, which is defending Maryville Baptist Church in Louisville.  According to the site:

Liberty Counsel won an emergency injunction from a unanimous three-judge panel on the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, prohibiting the enforcement of Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear’s March 19 and 25 COVID-19 orders against church services at Maryville Baptist Church and its pastor Dr. Jack Roberts. The rare Saturday injunction protects this church services this weekend.

This comes after a friend-of-the-court brief from the state's Attorney General, Daniel Cameron, who, according to the Liberty Counsel site, said:

“The freedom to practice one’s faith is a defining feature of American liberty… But in the wake of executive orders shutting down in-person worship services in Kentucky in response to the Covid-19 crisis, this guarantee is on shaky ground. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear has allowed certain secular activities to continue in Kentucky if social distancing guidelines are followed, but has refused the same treatment for religious entities. Pandemic or not, the Constitution prohibits the targeting of religious exercise for disfavored treatment.”

The Court made direct statements in its ruling, such as this one: “Orders prohibiting religious gatherings, enforced by police officers telling congregants they violated a criminal law and by officers taking down license plate numbers, amount to a significant burden on worship gatherings…The breadth of the ban on religious services, together with a haven for numerous secular exceptions, should give pause to anyone who prizes religious freedom.” The Court referred to the "soul-sustaining group services of faith organizations...," and wrote:

“Assuming all of the same precautions are taken, why is it safe to wait in a car for a liquor store to open but dangerous to wait in a car to hear morning prayers? Why can someone safely walk down a grocery store aisle but not a pew? And why can someone safely interact with a brave deliverywoman but not with a stoic minister? The Commonwealth has no good answers. While the law may take periodic naps during a pandemic, we will not let it sleep through one.”

Chattanooga reverses course, OK's drive-in services

The city of Chattanooga, Tennessee, is one governmental entity that has reversed course and avoided further court action by deciding to allow drive-in worship services within the city limits, according to the Alliance Defending Freedom, which had filed a Federal lawsuit against the city on behalf of the Metropolitan Tabernacle Church.  The ADF website reported that mayor Andrew Berke, on the Thursday before Easter, April 9...

...posted a message aimed at churches on the city website and on his official Facebook page regarding the order, stating that “drive-in services…even in their cars with the windows rolled up, for any length of time, will be considered a violation of our shelter-in-place directive.” That forced Metro Tab Church and other area churches to cancel drive-in Easter services and brought about the lawsuit. In the face of the suit, the city reversed its position and agreed to allow drive-in services, which Metro Tab Church and other congregations held for the past two Sundays without any threat of being singled out. Because of that, Metro Tab Church agreed to dismiss its lawsuit.

ADF Senior Counsel Ryan Tucker, director of the ADF Center for Christian Ministries, stated, in part: “We commend the city for changing its policies and respecting the constitutionally protected freedoms of area congregations, which can now participate in alternate versions of worship during this pandemic that are specifically designed to comply with all applicable health and safety recommendations.”

Pro-life journalists hit with big fines

The citizen journalism of the Center for Medical Progress, headed by David Daleiden, resulted in the exposure of the practices of Planned Parenthood in selling the body parts of aborted babies.  The organization was cited by Congress, but a Federal judge believes that the journalists, not the abortionists, are the wrongdoers.

The Christian Post reports that:

U.S. District Court Judge William Orrick of the Northern District of California released an order Wednesday against individuals connected to the Center for Medical Progress.

The judge's ruling was consistent with a jury's determination last year that the named individuals violated the Unfair Competition Law, "a claim brought by Planned Parenthood and the plaintiffs California Business & Professions Code," according to the website.

The Post reports that:

In addition to issuing an injunction banning those named from attending Planned Parenthood events, Orrick also found them liable for large sums of money.

This includes $1,259,370 in damages related to Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, plus other damages and attorneys’ fees.

The 3 - April 26, 2020

This week, on The 3, featuring three stories of relevance to the Christian community, there was positive court action in a Federal appeals court stopping most abortions in Arkansas during the COVID-19 crisis as a court order for another state, Texas, is over due to the expiration of a stay-at-home order.  Also, religious freedom concerns are spotlighted in California, where drive-in services can now occur, but in-person services cannot.  Plus, religious content has been removed from the Facebook page of an Army fort in New York.

Federal courts split on abortion decisions

The availability of abortion during this time of crisis, especially when "non-essential" surgical procedures are banned in a number of areas, is troubling.  Legitimate medical professionals have been unable to sustain their regular practices, yet the heavy-handed and life-taking practices of the abortion industry continue.

The state of Arkansas is one place where most abortions are now banned, based on a court decision from a Federal appeals court.  National Review reported that...

...the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals determined that Arkansas may restrict most surgical abortions as part of its prohibition on elective procedures during the COVID-19 outbreak. Earlier this month, a federal judge had temporarily blocked the policy and ruled that the state could not lawfully restrict abortions as part of its overall order.

In the article, Sen. Tom Cotton is quoted as saying, “Medical resources—especially during a pandemic—should be used to preserve life, not end it,” adding, “The Eighth Circuit Court upheld the rule of law, rightly supporting Arkansas’s decision to dedicate its health-care system to saving the lives of Arkansans.”

The 5th Circuit had also allowed temporary restrictions on abortion in Texas to stand, but apparently, that period is over, according to the Texas Tribune, which stated this week:

A ban on nearly all abortions in Texas during the coronavirus pandemic appears to be over, as clinics began offering the procedure again Wednesday and state lawyers ceded in a legal filing that there is no longer any "case or controversy."

The near-total ban has been the subject of weeks of litigation — starting in late March when Gov. Greg Abbott postponed all surgeries not “immediately medically necessary” to preserve medical resources for coronavirus patients. Attorney General Ken Paxton said the ban extended to abortions, and the politically conservative 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals largely sided with state officials.

And, while Alabama's stay-at-home order included elective surgical procedures being temporarily suspended, WSFA reported that the 11th Circuit upheld a lower court order allowing abortions to continue.  The article said:

Alabama abortion providers can continue performing abortions during the state’s coronavirus health order, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday.

Appellate judges said the state can’t limit abortions during the coronavirus outbreak.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit in March challenging Alabama’s COVID-19 state health order, which requires dental, medical and surgical procedures to be postponed during the pandemic.

California opens up drive-in worship

How churches can worship during the COVID-19 crisis has been a major point of contention in a number of areas of the country, and while some faith voices seem to have dismissed these skirmishes as "no big deal," there are definite implications for religious freedom, and Christian legal advocates certainly take these threats seriously.

LifeSiteNews reported that a lawsuit in California "...brought by the Center for American Liberty in California, prompted Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Xavier Becerra to back down, Fox 26 reported. The article went on to say:

The state will now permit drive-in church services, provided worshippers observe “social distancing” while doing so – which would presumably be a moot point, as every attendee remains inside his or her own car.

At its website, the Center for American Liberty stated that the ruling did not go far enough after a judge refused to grant a request for a temporary restraining order that would have allowed other forms of in-person worship.  The organization's CEO, Harmeet K. Dhillon, stated:

"...We rapidly obtained the right of all Californians of faith to be able to communally worship by drive-in services, and many churches are already taking advantage of this great development, but they still cannot worship inside their churches using the same social distancing practices we are now all familiar with in grocery stores and other retail establishments deemed “essential” by the government,..."

Dillon added, “We commend the Governor and San Bernardino and Riverside Counties for recognizing their error in barring drive-in services, and hope we can continue to make progress on overcoming the other barriers the government has artificially placed in the way of the faithful.”

LifeSiteNews also reported on Mendocino County in California, which limited even the type of worship that could be conducted online.  That article stated:

The directive, which is in force until May 10, limits events, including live-streamed events, to four individuals. It goes on to state:

No singing or use of wind instruments, harmonicas, or other instruments that could spread COVID-19 through projected droplets shall be permitted unless the recording of the event is done at one’s residence, and involving only the members of one’s household or living unit, because of the increased risk of transmission of COVID-19.

The article quotes Tyler O'Niel of PJ Media, who wrote that the ban "sounds like something out of a dystopian nightmare.” He also said, "“The coronavirus has brought many petty tyrants out of the shadows, and it appears Mendocino County is home to some of the most abominable tyrants in America..."

Army removes inspirational message from fort's Facebook page

At the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division Sustainment Brigade at Fort Drum, New York, statements about religious practice have been removed from the installation's Facebook page, according to The Christian Post.  Videos by chaplains Scott Ingram and Amy Smith were found to be objectionable.  According to the article:

One of the videos in question was posted on April 2 by Chaplain Ingram in which he cited Isaiah 41 to call on people to put their trust in God during the coronavirus crisis.

“Change is never easy, but together we can walk forward in supernatural strength in the confidence that we are not forsaken,” Ingram says in the video.

Two videos by Chaplain Smith were removed, including one posted on April 8.  The Post reported:

In an April 8 video, Smith encouraged the Fort Drum community to visit the Fort Drum Labyrinth. She called the obstacle a great spiritual tool to use “especially during this COVID-19 epidemic.”

“It’s going to feel like you are walking in circles. But sometimes in life, that is what you feel like,” she said.

“Sometimes you will be toward the outside. At times in our walk with God, we can be asking God, ‘Where are you? Where are you in the midst of this COVID-19?’ Other times, you will be more toward the center and you can hear God’s voice and you can hear Him and you can sense Him, even in the midst of all the craziness that is going on with all the worry, fear and anxiety.”

After the Military Religious Freedom Foundation claimed to have received complaints and after it contacted base leadership, the videos were removed from the fort's Facebook page and posted solely on the page for the installation chapel.

Mike Berry of First Liberty was quoted by Fox News; he said: "I cannot believe the legendary U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division raised the white flag of surrender to an anti-religious freedom zealot. Every president, from Washington to Trump, has publicly prayed for our military. If the commander in chief can pray, then our soldiers can, too."

The 3 - April 19, 2020

With three stories of relevance to the Christian community, this is The 3.  The lineup for this week including statements from the U.S. Department of Justice regarding religious freedom.  And, two states (so far) have been sued because of their orders regarding church gatherings.  Plus, an atheist group has been awarded a significant sum of money as the result of a graduation prayer that one Federal judge found to be unconstitutional.

Department of Justice issues statement on religious freedom, indicates interest in Mississippi drive-in church service situation, city mayor backs down

Just before Easter, the U.S. Department of Justice was anticipated to provide religious freedom guidance for churches and government officials, to ensure that First Amendment concerns continued to be upheld during the Coronavirus crisis.  On Tuesday, the 14th, Attorney General William Barr issued a statement and announced that it had filed a statement of interest in the case of a Mississippi church, where attendees at a "drive-in" worship service were fined $500.  According to the Department of Justice website, the Attorney General said:

But even in times of emergency, when reasonable and temporary restrictions are placed on rights, the First Amendment and federal statutory law prohibit discrimination against religious institutions and religious believers. Thus, government may not impose special restrictions on religious activity that do not also apply to similar nonreligious activity. For example, if a government allows movie theaters, restaurants, concert halls, and other comparable places of assembly to remain open and unrestricted, it may not order houses of worship to close, limit their congregation size, or otherwise impede religious gatherings. Religious institutions must not be singled out for special burdens.

The statement also said:

As we explain in the Statement of Interest, where a state has not acted evenhandedly, it must have a compelling reason to impose restrictions on places of worship and must ensure that those restrictions are narrowly tailored to advance its compelling interest. While we believe that during this period there is a sufficient basis for the social distancing rules that have been put in place, the scope and justification of restrictions beyond that will have to be assessed based on the circumstances as they evolve.

WREG Television in Memphis reported on Thursday: "After drawing national attention, including lawsuits brought by two local churches, the mayor of Greenville, Mississippi has reversed his decision to ban drive-in church services." The article went on to say:

After receiving “clarification” from Gov. Tate Reeves, Greenville Mayor Errick Simmons says he’s reversing an April 7 order saying all churches would be closed, including drive-in services, as part of Mississippi’s shelter in place mandate.

Alliance Defending Freedom had filed suit on behalf of Greenville's Temple Baptist Church, and First Liberty took action on behalf of King James Bible Baptist Church.  The television station quoted Jeremy Dys of First Liberty: "There’s no pandemic exception to the First Amendment and so thankfully, today worshipers in Greenville are experiencing a greater degree of freedom than they did yesterday..."

The television station stated, "The city of Greenville will allow drive-in and parking lot services in the city, so long as families stay in their cars with windows up."

Christian legal advocacy organizations sue states

In order to preserve religious freedom rights for churches, there has been legal action that has been taken by Christian legal organizations against the acts of two governors. The Alliance Defending Freedom filed suit in Federal court on behalf of two Kansas churches against the state's governor, Laura Kelly, according to the ADF website, "to challenge a provision of her statewide shelter-in-place order that singles out churches from holding gatherings of 10 or more people while allowing numerous secular gatherings that exceed that number, including bars, restaurants, libraries, and shopping malls."

The website reported on Saturday that the Federal court had granted a temporary restraining order against the governor's policy.  ADF Senior Counsel Ryan Tucker, a recent Meeting House guest on Faith Radio, stated, "...We’re pleased that the court halted the governor from subjecting our clients to that type of targeting and agreed that the churches are likely to prevail on their claim that doing so violates the First Amendment. The order specifies that our clients are to abide by their own proposed, rigorous social distancing practices for the time being while our case continues in court, which these churches are obviously happy to do, since they proposed those rules themselves for everyone’s health and safety."

Liberty Counsel, according to its website, filed suit in Federal court against the governor of Kentucky, on behalf of a Louisville church, for "...violating their religious freedom by targeting churchgoers on Easter Sunday."  The organization's website stated:

On Easter Sunday, Kentucky State Police troopers came to Maryville Baptist Church, wrote down license plate numbers, and placed notices on every car in the church parking lot. The church set up speakers outside for parking lot service. The state troopers did not go inside the church where a small number of people were spread far apart in a 700-seat sanctuary. Following Gov. Beshear’s threat to target anyone who attended a church service, they placed quarantine notices on each car, including those where people stayed in their cars for the drive-in parking lot service. Anyone who did not drive off were given notices, including two media vehicles.

Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver is quoted at the website, stating: "Governor Beshear has clearly targeted this church and violated these church members’ religious freedom. The only reason these people were given notices is because they were in a church parking lot. Had they parked in the nearby shopping center they would not have been targeted. This is clearly Gov. Andy Beshear’s discriminating against churches."  According to WAVE 3 Television: "A motion for a temporary restraining order filed by a Hillview baptist church against an order by the Beshear administration has been denied by a District Court Judge on Saturday."  This was a reference to Maryville Baptist.

Federal judge rewards atheist group in graduation prayer case

Seemingly on an annual basis, there is confusion over the free speech rights and right to religious expression of students regarding graduation ceremonies.  A troubling decision was handed down recently by a Federal court concerning a school in the Greenville, S.C. school district -ChristianHeadlines.com reported:

A federal judge this week awarded an atheist group more than $450,000 in attorney's fees and expenses after the organization successfully fought against high school graduation prayer as part of a 2013 lawsuit.

The group is the American Humanist Association which, according to the article, "sued the school on behalf of parents of a student who objected to students leading prayers at a graduation. The organization also objected to the graduations being held in off-site chapels."  Last year, the judge, Bruce Hendricks, "...ruled for the group and said in a 2019 decision that 'the district shall not include a prayer – whether referred to as a prayer, blessing, invocation, benediction, inspirational reading, or otherwise – as part of the official program for a graduation ceremony.'"

The school district may appeal; it issued a statement which said, in part: "the School District has argued that students, like other citizens, have the right to free speech, including that of a religious nature..."