The 3 - January 28, 2024

This week's edition of The 3, featuring three stories of relevance to the Christian community, spotlights a story out of California, where two teachers had sued their school district due to a policy that requires teachers who have knowledge of a student's "gender transition" to not tell the parents; they were put on leave, and not reinstated by a federal judge.  Also, a chaplain at a college in the U.K. who had lost his job because of a speech against LGBT ideology, has experienced affirmation from a third governing body, but his local church officials will not allow him to work with children.  Plus, a Maine legislative committee was unable to get even a single vote on a bill that would permit children to be removed from homes due to their parent's refusal to affirm their transgender identity.

Teachers put on leave because of objections to keep secrets from parents reinstated

Two teachers at Rincon Middle School in Escondido, California, have received their jobs back, as of January 16, thanks to a federal judge's directive.  CBN.com reported that Elizabeth Mirabelli and Lori Ann West sued the Escondido Unified School District "...and the state's department of education after the administration established a policy that required teachers to not only address trans-identifying students by their preferred pronoun, but it required them to hide from parents their student's gender confusion."

The article goes on to say that, "West and Mirabelli requested a religious accommodation against the policy but were only granted the accommodation for how they addressed students."  They were placed on administrative leave for opposing the policy.

CBN states:

"I believe in the teachings of the Bible," West told Fox News. "(Mirabelli and I) follow the laws in the Bible, and that's a wonderful thing. And it seems like, at my school, we have been put down for that. They want to stifle our voices."

Mirabelli contacted the Thomas More Society and attorneys filed a federal complaint against the school district and the state board.

Judge Roger Benitez of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California issued a preliminary injunction last September in favor of Mirabelli and West.

He "ordered the teachers be reinstated into their positions."  The district didn't comply, so the judge ordered the district to reinstate the teachers by January 16.

Chaplain in UK who was fired due to opposition to LGBT agenda defended by third governmental body, still rejected by Church

Bernard Randall is a chaplain ordained by the Church of England - he was, according to The Christian Post, "...sacked by Trent College in Derbyshire after he preached a sermon to pupils in the school chapel in which he expressed the church's own official position on marriage and human sexuality."

A governing body in the U.K., the Disclosure and Barring Service has stated, "'it would not be appropriate' to take action against Bernard Randall...," according to the article, making it possible for Randall to work with children. Two other bodies: "the government's anti-terrorism program, Prevent, and the Teaching Regulation Agency," have likewise not taken action against Randall."

But the Church of England has not been so charitable.  The Christian Post article states...

...the Church of England Diocese of Derby, after carrying out its own safeguarding investigation into Randall, concluded that he posed a "moderate risk to children" and vulnerable adults. Bizarrely, the diocese's safeguarding team concluded that "the Church itself is a risk factor." He has not been allowed to officiate in church services since.

Randall said, "...By blacklisting me as a safeguarding risk to children, the CofE at the highest level, and locally, has been complicit in allowing the far-left Queer Theory agenda of E&C and similar groups in our schools."

Maine legislative committee fails to garner even one vote for transgender custody bill

A bill was filed in The House of Representatives in the state of Maine which would protect a person who removes a child from parents who do not support the child's identification as transgender and subjects the child to harmful procedures that are falsely described as helping a child change his or her "gender."  According to a report at The Daily Signal:

The Maine bill, LD 1735, would prioritize “gender-affirming care” in custody disputes. It would prohibit courts from considering that a person applying for custody had taken a child from someone else with legal custody—such as parents—if that person removed the child “for the purposes of obtaining gender-affirming health care… for the child” from a state that restricts this experimental “care.”

The article goes on to say, "The bill would grant Maine courts 'temporary emergency jurisdiction' in cases where the child must be protected 'because the child has been unable to obtain gender-affirming health care or gender-affirming mental health care.'”

But the bill has dramatically failed to advance, according to the article, which says that last week:

A joint standing legislative committee between the Maine House of Representatives and the Maine Senate voted that the transgender custody bill LD 1735 “ought not to pass” Thursday.

According to footage of the committee posted online, the motion that the bill “ought not to pass” passed 12-0.

Rep. Katrina Smith, a member of the committee, stated, “Today we won a victory for our children who have been fooled into thinking they are not perfect the way God made them,” adding, “With the death of LD 1735 we have proven that when evil is brought out of the darkness and exposed in the light, it can be vanquished. The people spoke loudly and it mattered.”

The 3 - January 21, 2024

This week's edition of The 3, featuring three stories of relevance to the Christian community, highlights pro-life legislative action in the U.S. House last week, the week leading up to the March for Life in Washington, DC.  Also, last week, it was revealed that a government agency has been monitoring financial transactions including key words, including those associated with "religious texts," to try to generate suspicion. And, thousands gathered in the nation's capital last week to participate in the annual March for Life.

U.S. House passes two pro-life bills

Coinciding with the March for Life in Washington, DC, last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed two bills that support women and their unborn children.  According to the website, Pregnancy Help News:

The Pregnant Students' Rights Act aims to inform pregnant students of their rights and the resources available to them at U.S. colleges and universities. The bill also amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to mandate that institutions of higher education to provide students with the following:

1. A list of the resources that exist to help pregnant students and students who are caring for a baby after birth.

2. Information about the accommodation available for pregnant and parenting students.

3. Information on how to file a complaint with the Department of Education based on Title IX and file a discrimination complaint with the institution of higher education.

Sponsor of the bill, Iowa Representative Ashley Hinson said this on the House floor, according to her website:

Higher education institutions and universities have a responsibility to empower all their students to succeed – including pregnant students.

There are many organizations that provide physical and emotional support for new and soon-to-be moms, and pregnant students should know about these resources on college campuses. They deserve to be treated with respect and surrounded with care and love.

I have visited pregnancy resource centers in Iowa and met with those who have dedicated themselves to the cause of life – many of whom have traveled to Washington to March for life this weekend.

And it has been inspiring to see the pro-life community spring into action to help expecting moms and their babies thrive.

Another bill passing the House is the Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act, which, according to the website, blocks the Department of Health and Human Services from finalizing the Biden Administration’s proposed rule change governing the Temporary Assistance to Need Families (TANF) program regarding payments for any pregnancy center.  How important is this?  Pregnancy Help News notes, "Numerous states fund Alternatives to Abortion programs, including Louisiana, which currently provided $1 million to pregnancy centers via TANF), Indiana, which currently provided $2.5 million through TANF, and Ohio, which provided $7.5 million between FY20 to FY21."

LifeNews.com quoted from New Jersey Congressman Chris Smith, who said: “There are more than 2,700 pregnancy resource centers throughout the United States—each and every one of them an oasis of love, compassion, empathy, respect, and care for both mothers and their precious children. " He also referred to a new Marist poll that "found that 83 percent of all Americans...support—I say again support—pregnancy resource centers.”

Furthermore, two bills that protect the ongoing work of pregnancy resource centers were introduced into the House.  The Pregnancy Help News site notes: 

The Pregnancy Center Support Act would implement a 50 percent tax credit to incentivize voluntary contributions to pregnancy centers that provide life-affirming support to help pregnant mothers to choose life for their babies.

The other bill is called the Let Pregnancy Centers Serve Act, which would, "annul the Biden administration proposed rule that would disallow Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program funds to pregnancy centers even when they meet one or more of TANF’s statutory purposes."

Certain search terms in financial transactions being flagged

National Religious Broadcasters issued a story this week that reported on the findings of the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, which, according to the NRB website, showed that certain "search terms" related to financial transactions were being used for "scrutiny by federal investigators."

Not only were terms that are associated to political opposition to the current Administration included, but according to NRB:

The U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) monitors financial transactions to identify instances of money laundering for domestic and international terrorism. According to the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, this office sent materials to financial institutions recommending the use of generic terms like “MAGA” or “Trump” to identify suspicious private transactions. FinCEN also recommended monitoring private transactions for “extremism” indicators such as “the purchase of books (including religious texts) and subscriptions to other media containing extremist views.”

Now, we recognize that not all Christians are Trump supporters or could be described as "MAGA," which stands for the former President's campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again." But, as the NRB article points out, in Iowa, "According to data reported by The Washington Post, significant gains among Evangelical Christians were a key factor in former President Donald J. Trump’s sweeping Iowa caucus victory, with Trump’s share in the most predominantly Evangelical counties growing by upwards of 35 points."

So, there is significant evangelical support for Trump - but whether you, as a believer support Trump or not, this monitoring of financial transactions should be a cause for concern. And, as NRB reports, "A Fox News roundup reported a slew of negative media characterizations of Christians in response to the Iowa caucuses: that Evangelicals are racist, anti-democracy, idol-worshipping, authoritarian, inauthentic, vengeful, violent, fascist, and jihadist, among other things."

The chairman of that House subcommittee, Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio wrote to Noah Bishoff, former Director of the Office of Stakeholder Integration and Engagement in the Strategic Operations Division of FinCEN, saying, “FinCEN urged large financial institutions to comb through the private transactions of their customers for suspicious charges on the basis of protected political and religious expression.” NRB also reported:

In a separate letter to FBI director Christopher Wray dated Jan. 17, Jordan noted that the committee and select subcommittee had also obtained documents “indicating that FBI personnel in the Office of Private Sector prepared an official report that broadly characterized certain political beliefs as indicative of domestic violent extremism.” The FBI then distributed that report to financial institutions.

Thousands brave wintry weather to take part in March for Life

The second March for Life since the U.S. Supreme Court's Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade took place last Friday, and a crowd of between 50 and 100-thousand people was expected to attend. Representatives of pro-life advocacy organizations and ministries, governmental officials, and Faith Radio programmers Jim Daly of Focus on the Family and Greg Laurie of A New Beginning were on hand.   Daly and Laurie were part of the speaker lineup.

According to Nicole Hunt, writing for The Daily Citizen of Focus on the Family, the work of pregnancy resource centers was lauded as an essential key to saving babies and ministering to women; she wrote:

Jeanine Mancini, President of the March for Life, opened the rally by declaring that the pro-life movement is about helping mothers and babies flourish. According to Mancini, 60% of women who chose abortion would have chosen life if they had more support. Mancini told the crowd that these moms need to know they can do this, and we will help them.

The March for Life’s theme this year, “With Every Woman, For Every Child,” highlights the phenomenal work being done by pregnancy resource centers.

Pregnancy resource centers, Mancini said, are the “backbone of the pro-life movement.”

In 2022, pregnancy resources centers across the nation provided $358 million in resources to women and families experiencing an unplanned pregnancy. Those resource services included housing, counseling, prenatal medical care, baby supplies, diapers, clothing, formula, parenting classes, adoption support, and more. According to Mancini, 83% of Americans support pregnancy resource centers. 

And, the day after the march, there was strategy being discussed.  I came across an article at The Guardian website, which reported this:

The activists had gathered in the ballroom for the National Pro-Life Summit, the conclusion of a two-day extravaganza of anti-abortion activism in the US capital. On Friday, many had walked through the snowy streets of Washington to support the March for Life, the largest annual anti-abortion event in the United States.

But while the March for Life is a mass show of force, the National Pro-Life Summit is far more focused. It aims to arm the foot soldiers of the anti-abortion movement, high school- and college-aged activists, with the education and energy they need to effectively advocate against abortion rights – especially in an election year.

In the months since the US supreme court overturned Roe, abortion rights supporters have repeatedly defeated abortion foes in ballot referendums, even in conservative strongholds such as Kansas, Kentucky and Ohio.

This string of losses, though, has seemingly hardened the stance of summit attendees and speakers. Rather than compromising, summit speakers urged young people: Don’t give up. Do more.

The 3 - January 14, 2024

This week's edition of The 3, which features three stories of relevance to the Christian community, features news Kentucky where are former county clerk is still fighting legal action against her for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses.  Also, the U.S. Supreme Court will be weighing in on whether or not ER doctors can be forced to provide abortions, staying a lower court ruling and protecting doctors, for now.  Plus, in Ohio, the legislature is on its way to overriding the governor's veto of a bill that would protect children from harmful "gender-change" procedures and prevent boys from competing in female sports. 

Former KY clerk hit will large legal bill for standing against same-sex marriage

The Obergefell decision from the U.S. Supreme Court was handed down in 2015.  Now, in 2024, a former clerk in Rowan County, Kentucky, is still involved in litigation against her.  In fact, at this moment, a court has ruled that she owes some $350,000 in legal fees.

Liberty Counsel has been representing the clerk, Kim Davis, since that initial action.  On its website, the Christian legal organization states:

Liberty Counsel will file a motion this month in Ermold v. Davis to ask the U.S. District Court of Eastern Kentucky to reverse the jury verdict against former Rowan County Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis who was sued by two same-sex couples for not issuing them marriage licenses. In September 2023, the Ermold plaintiffs asked for $50,000 each in damages and a jury awarded them a total of $100,000. Judge David Bunning has now awarded the plaintiffs an additional $246,000 in attorney’s fees and $14,000 in expenses.

What is worth considering is that in the other case, Yates v. Davis, the jury did not award the plaintiffs.  The Liberty Counsel website says: 

During the trial, two juries heard the same evidence and the same arguments in both cases. The jury in the Yates case awarded zero damages because that is what the evidence required. The plaintiffs in that case originally asked for $300,000 in damages.

However, without any evidentiary support, the Ermold jury reached a verdict of $50,000 for each plaintiff. The evidence presented at trial simply does not support that verdict because there were no lost wages and they presented no supporting testimony regarding emotional injury. The Ermold jury verdict is unsound and easily sets this case up for an eventual route to the U.S. Supreme Court where religious freedom will be central to the argument along with the issue that the 2015 case of Obergefell v. Hodges was wrongly decided and should be overturned.

The website article also notes, "This latest judgment now allows Liberty Counsel to ask the Court to reverse the jury’s verdict against Davis because there was insufficient evidence to award the plaintiffs monetary damages. If the motion is denied, Liberty Counsel will then appeal the case to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals."

Supreme Court allows Idaho to prevent ER doctors from performing abortions

Just days after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit prevented the federal government from requiring emergency room physicians from having to perform abortions, the U.S. Supreme Court announced that it had placed a ruling against the state of Idaho on hold pending its review of the case.  Alliance Defending Freedom, on its website, stated on Tuesday, January 9:

The U.S. Supreme Court Friday halted a lower court ruling that allowed the Biden administration to misuse the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act to force emergency room doctors to perform abortions in violation of Idaho’s Defense of Life Act. Idaho’s law puts the lives of women and their unborn children first, preventing physicians from ending an unborn child’s life unless doing so is necessary to save the life of the mother. The stay issued in State of Idaho v. United States of America will remain in effect until the high court decides the case later this year, allowing Idaho to continue to protect the lives of women and their children as the litigation continues.

The website quotes from ADF Senior Counsel Erin Hawley, who serves as Vice President of the ADF Center for Life and Regulatory Practice, who said: “The government has no business forcing emergency room physicians to violate their duty to provide life-saving care to all, including unborn children. We are proud to serve alongside the state of Idaho to ensure doctors can freely and safely serve women and their families.”

Ohio House overrides governor's veto of SAFE Act

It's called the SAFE Act, standing for Save Adolescents from Experimentation.  The Ohio legislature had passed the legislation recently, only to have it vetoed by the governor, who issued executive action addressing but a part of the comprehensive action provided for in the bill.

Now, the bill is on its way to a veto override, and the House of Representatives took the first step last week.  The Washington Stand reported that the House "...voted 65-27 to override Governor Mike DeWine’s veto of Substitute H.B. 68, more than the 60 votes required."  The article goes on to say:

The measure combines the Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act — which shields children from transgender puberty blockers, cross-sex hormone injections, and surgeries — with the Save Women’s Sports Act, which prohibits men from competing in girls’ sports or sharing their locker rooms. It also prevents courts from denying or limiting custody to a parent who refuses to “affirm” their child’s transgender identity and safeguards state taxpayers from funding minors’ transgender procedures through Medicaid.

The vote to override actually received four more votes than the original passage last month, according to the article. The article quotes from David Mahan, who is the policy director at the Center for Christian Virtue n Ohio, who said, “Ohio and the entire nation have spoken. It’s not okay to chemically sterilize and mutilate children, and no clinic can transform little girls into little boys with pills and scalpels..."

The Washington Stand pointed out:

Leaders in the state’s right-to-life movement supported the bill, which would reduce the abortion industry’s profits. “From our earliest days, Cincinnati Right to Life has stood against Planned Parenthood’s pro-abortion, anti-person agenda which tragically now includes being a top advocat[e] and provider of gender-altering harm to minors and adults. Planned Parenthood believes abortion and gender mutilation ‘go hand in hand’ while also believing a child as young as two can be questioning their gender.” Right to Life of Northeast Ohio also posted several supportive messages.

And, that's important, considering the allegations that Planned Parenthood spent and misrepresented its way to the passage of a constitutional amendment in the state in November that would essentially legalize abortions in the state.  And, there have been reports of legislative action to alter the effect of that amendment, which did not go through the Ohio legislature.

The 3 - January 7, 2024

This week's edition of The 3, features a major ruling in federal court that would prevent ER physicians from being forced to perform abortions. Also, a New Year's Eve celebration went sideways for a Christian man in India who was arrested for praying.  And, the governor of Ohio made a surprising decision to veto a bill that would protect children from gender-change treatments and procedures in his state. 

Court says Administration can't force ER doctors to perform abortions

It is certainly apparent that this Administration wants to make sure as many abortions are preformed as possible.  And, according to the Alliance Defending Freedom website, a federal court dealt a blow to the government's aggressive promotion of abortion; in this case, preventing emergency room physicians from being forced to terminate the life of an unborn child.

The website notes:

In a pivotal victory for women, children, and healthcare professionals, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruled Tuesday that the Biden administration cannot illegally use federal law to force emergency room doctors to perform abortions.

ADF attorneys representing the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Christian Medical and Dental Associations, alongside the state of Texas, asked the court to keep in place a lower court ruling halting the Biden administration from employing the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act to force doctors to provide elective abortions in emergency rooms. The appeals court unanimously agreed.

ADF Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Ryan Bangert stated, “Doctors shouldn’t be forced to break the Hippocratic Oath, and they shouldn’t have to choose between violating their deeply held beliefs or facing stiff financial penalties and being barred from the Medicare program..."

On the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America website, State Policy Director Katie Daniel is quoted as saying:

“Early in 2024, the Court has delivered a big win for babies and mothers by halting a key piece of Biden’s pro-abortion agenda. EMTALA, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, requires consideration for both patients – mother and child. It is no grounds for forcing doctors to carry out abortions even against their better medical judgment. Two federal rulings now have made that crystal clear, rejecting the Biden administration’s twisted and illegal moves. In the Dobbs era, 24 states have laws protecting babies in the womb from brutal abortions, and every one of them also ensures life-saving care for pregnant mothers during medical emergencies..."

Christian in India arrested for prayer - at home!

In an astonishing expression of the heavy hand of government in carrying out persecution of a Christian, a man in India was arrested simply for praying in his home. Christian Today reported:

Police in Uttar Pradesh detained a Christian, along with a guest, for praying in his own house on New Year’s Eve in Maharajganj district yesterday.

Pastor Raj Kishore along with some of his friends had gathered in his own house for New Years’ Eve in Sonbarasa village on December 31, when the Kothibari police reached his house around 11 pm and detained him and a friend at the complaint of a neighbour.

The police detained him along with Raj Kumar alleging he was carrying out forced conversion in his house.

The article says that Kishore's wife, Bhagwanti, "denied the allegation of any kind of conversion taking place in her house." She said to a source affiliated with the family that she, her husband, and others were "sitting and praying peacefully in her house when the police at the 'false complaint of someone' detained her husband." Also, Christian Today relates this: "Appealing to the fundamental right to religious freedom given in Article 25 of the Indian Constitution, Bhagwanti told the source that they have the right to worship whom they want to, and read religious scriptures of whatever religion they want to."

OH Governor vetoes bill protecting children from gender mutilation

State after state across the nation have taken action to protect children from harmful, so-called "gender transition" treatments and surgeries.  The Ohio legislature did the right thing when it passed legislation that would prevent these procedures from minors and would keep biological males out of female sports.  But, the governor of Ohio, Mike DeWine vetoed the bill.  The Daily Signal reported that the governor said, "Were House Bill 68 to become law, Ohio would be saying that the state, that the government, knows better what is best for a child than the two people who love that child the most, the parents..."  He said that an administrative solution might be more effective and survive court scrutiny.

Bill sponsor Rep. Gary Click said, “While I commend him for those efforts, The SAFE Act has been thoroughly vetted through two general assemblies, both chambers of the legislature, and numerous witnesses...I have invited the administration to participate in the process from the beginning and continue to believe that we would have benefited sooner if that had been accomplished.”

Meanwhile the Ohio legislature is expected to consider votes to override the veto, and later in the week, according to The Daily Signal, Governor DeWine "...signed an 'emergency' executive order Friday banning transgender surgeries for minors, one week after he vetoed a bill that would have had a similar effect."  The article notes:

The bill would also have banned cross-sex hormones and so-called puberty blockers for children, measures DeWine’s executive order apparently omits. The bill would also have addressed fairness in women’s sports, an issue DeWine’s order also does not address.

The 3 - December 24, 2023

This week's edition of The 3, focusing on three stories of relevance to the Christian community, includes a significant ruling out of Connecticut that provides hope for girls being able to compete in sporting events without boys being allowed.  Also, there are school board induction ceremonies that have occurred that feature the inductees begin sworn in on objectionable books, rather than the Bible.  And, a Virginia teacher who would not use requested "gender" pronouns has won a court victory.

CT ruling in favor of boys playing in girls sports back in play after appeals court ruling

The issue of boys presenting as girls playing in girls' athletic competition continues to be an issue across the nation.  A premier case in the courts regarding the issue has essentially been reinstated by the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit.  CBN.com reported that:

The Second Circuit Court of Appeals has reinstated a lawsuit filed by four female track and field athletes who are challenging their athletic conference's policy that allows males who identify as females to compete based on their gender identity.

Soule v. Connecticut Association of Schools claims the conference's policy violates Title IX and the Second Circuit ruling now allows the case to proceed in federal district court.

Christiana Holcomb of Alliance Defending Freedom, which is providing the legal representation for the young ladies, is quoted as saying: "Forcing girls to be spectators in their own sports is completely at odds with Title IX, a federal law designed to create equal opportunities for women in education and athletics," adding, "Connecticut's policy violates that law and reverses nearly 50 years of advances for women."

The backstory, according to CBN:

In 2017, two male athletes began competing in Connecticut girls' high school track.

In just three years, those two males broke 17 girls' track meet records, deprived girls of more than 85 opportunities to advance to the next level of competition, and took 15 women's state track championship titles, according to ADF.

Elected school board officials exchange Bibles for objectionable books for swearing in

Even though responsible parents are objecting to obscene, even pornographic material being made available to students, there are those who are doubling down.  One such instance occurred recently in a large school district in Pennsylvania.  The Daily Signal reported that the new President of the Central Bucks school district, Karen Smith...

...chose to place her hand not on a Bible but on a stack of frequently banned books, including “Flamer,” “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” Beyond Magenta,” “Lily and Dunkin,” and “The Bluest Eye.”

“I’m not particularly religious,” Smith explained. “The Bible doesn’t hold significant meaning for me, and given everything that has occurred in the last couple of years, the banned books, they do mean something to me at this point.”

The article notes:

In fact, all of the books Smith used for her swearing-in ceremony (with the exception of Elie Wiesel’s testimonial Holocaust novel “Night”) have been subjects of recent controversy and many have been banned from classrooms or libraries for their sexually-explicit and ideologically-charged content.

Meg Kilgannon, senior fellow for education studies at Family Research Council, commented to The Washington Stand, “People and political forces who would use children to advance their evil ideologies may have momentary successes or seem to win the day, but in the end we know that God wins.”

New board members were recently elected in the school district, and the Daily Signal article states:

First, the new board suspended the ban on sexually explicit books. Although “Gender Queer” and “This Book Is Gay” were already removed, Smith said that the other 60 books or so flagged for sexually explicit content are “definitely not going to be reviewed at this point.”

Next, the new board undid the policies barring biological boys from participating in girls sports and forbidding teachers from flying LGBT Pride flags in classrooms.

In Virginia, new Fairfax County School Board member Karl Frisch acted in a similar way.  The Washington Examiner reported that...

...Frisch, the first openly LGBT member elected to local office in Fairfax County, Virginia, was seen last week getting sworn into office by putting his hand on a stack of the five LGBT-themed books that have commonly been challenged in libraries and schools — Gender Queer, Flamer, All Boys Aren’t Blue, Lawn Boy, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower.

VA teacher who lost job for lack of pronoun usage receives court victory

A lawsuit filed by a Virginia teacher who was fired because he would not use the requested "gender" pronouns of a student has been allowed to move forward, according to the Alliance Defending Freedom website. It says: "...the Virginia Supreme Court ruled... that it would reinstate a lawsuit alleging the West Point School Board violated a high school teacher’s rights protected by Virginia law when it fired him for avoiding the use of personal pronouns to refer to one of his students."

The teacher's name is Peter Vlaming; the website states:

The West Point School Board fired Vlaming after he stated he couldn’t in good conscience comply with the superintendent’s demand that he refer to one of his students using pronouns inconsistent with the student’s sex. Vlaming tried to accommodate the student by consistently using the student’s new preferred name and by avoiding the use of pronouns altogether. But school officials ordered him to stop avoiding the use of pronouns to refer to the student, even when the student wasn’t present, and to start using pronouns inconsistent with the student’s sex.

ADF Senior Counsel Chris Schandevel is quoted as saying, “Peter wasn’t fired for something he said; he was fired for something he couldn’t say. The Virginia Supreme Court rightly agreed that Peter’s case against the school board for violating his rights under the Virginia Constitution and state law should proceed..."

The article notes:

In its opinion in Vlaming v. West Point School Board, the Virginia Supreme Court correctly recognized that the Virginia Constitution “seeks to protect diversity of thought, diversity of speech, diversity of religion, and diversity of opinion.” The ruling continued, “Absent a truly compelling reason for doing so, no government committed to these principles can lawfully coerce its citizens into pledging verbal allegiance to ideological views that violate their sincerely held religious beliefs.”

The 3 - December 17, 2023

This week's edition of The 3, spotlighting three recent stories impacting the Christian community, features three recent developments concerning the life issue.  Not unexpectedly, the U.S. Supreme Court has decided to take a case concerning a challenge to the FDA's approval and expansion of regulation of the abortion pill.  Also, Illinois officials have consented not to enforce a recent law that would inhibit pregnancy resource centers from telling the truth about abortion.  Plus, the Texas Supreme Court has ruled that a woman who wanted to abort her unborn child because the child had a genetic condition cannot take the life of that child.

SCOTUS decides to take up abortion pill case

Over 20 years ago, the Food and Drug Administration decided to allow a regimen of two pills that would terminate the life of an unborn child.  There were regulations that were placed on the distribution of the pill, and its availability has expanded over the past decade.  During the pandemic, the pills were being sent via mail order.  With the growth of chemical abortion, a group of pro-life organizations filed a lawsuit against the FDA challenging its original approval and the expansion of its availability.

SCOTUS Blog detailed the movement of the case through the court system: "A federal judge in Amarillo, Tex., agreed with the challengers and suspended" the "approval and the later changes to the conditions on the use of the drug – such as allowing the drug to be used through the 10th week of pregnancy, rather than the 7th, and allowing health-care providers who are not physicians to prescribe the drug. But although the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit upheld Kacsmaryk’s rollback of the later changes to conditions on the use of the drug, it ruled that the challengers’ efforts to invalidate the FDA’s initial approval of the drug came too late."

The blog goes on to report:

The Biden administration and the drug manufacturer Danco came to the Supreme Court this spring, asking the justices to intervene to maintain the status quo until the dispute is resolved. The justices granted that request, allowing the drug to remain widely available for now.

The Biden administration and Danco came to the Supreme Court in September, asking the justices to weigh in on the propriety of the FDA’s decisions in 2016 and 2021 to make mifepristone more widely available, as well as whether the challengers have a legal right to bring their case at all. The doctors and medical groups asked the justices to take up their challenge to the FDA’s initial approval of mifepristone in 2000 – both its timeliness and the propriety of the decision itself.

Unfortunately, the high court has said it will not consider the FDA's original approval of the drug.

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, in an article on its website, quoted from Katie Daniel, the State Policy Director for SBA Pro-Life America, who stated:

...Working hand-in-glove with the abortion lobby, the FDA has misled the American people with its repeated claims that the abortion pill regimen is ‘safe and effective,’ all while they removed basic safeguards like in-person doctor supervision. This not only flies in the face of science and common sense, but the 5th Circuit agreed it most likely broke the law. The people aren’t buying it, either – especially when they learn the FDA doesn’t track serious complications other than death.

Attempt to restrict pregnancy centers' ability to tell the truth about abortion nullified in Illinois

The Illinois Legislature passed a law that would limit the ability of pro-life pregnancy resource centers to share information about a woman's unborn child.  It was challenged in court by National Institute of Family and Life Advocates, or NIFLA, and after a court placed a hold on the enforcement, an agreement by the state Attorney General not to enforce the law was reached. 

The Washington Times reported:

State Attorney General Kwame Raoul has agreed to a permanent injunction against the law, which aimed to bar the pro-life clinics from using any “deceptive business practice” to counsel clients and defined the sharing of certain information about the risks of abortion as “consumer fraud,” the lawyers said.

The agreement bars the state from prosecuting the clinics and grants attorney fees to the organizations that sued to block the measure.

President of NIFLA, Thomas Glessner, who was on The Meeting House last Friday, is quoted in the article, which said that Glessner...

...hailed the agreement and said the Illinois law “was an absolute weaponization of government that unfairly and unconstitutionally targeted pregnancy centers simply because they refused to refer for or perform abortions.”

Peter Breen of the Thomas More Society, which led the legal challenge, in an e-mail press release from NIFLA, is quoted as saying: "...SB 1909 exempts abortion facilities and their speech, while exclusively regulating pro-life organizations and their speech, in flagrant violation of the First Amendment. This law is just one of a number of illegal new laws enacted across the country that restrict pro-life speech—we hope this permanent injunction, with full attorney’s fees, serves as a warning to other states that would seek to follow Illinois and try to silence pro-life viewpoints. We are honored to represent NIFLA and other life-affirming organizations to protect them from unjust laws like SB 1909 that seek to put a halt to their good work.”

Texas high court rules that woman cannot take the life of unborn child with genetic disorder

The third story this week not only includes a positive court decision for the cause of life by the Texas Supreme Court, but deals with a woman who was convinced that because her unborn child was diagnosed with a genetic disorder, that she should take the child's life. The Christian Post reported last Monday:

The Texas Supreme Court halted a lower court ruling finding that a woman by the name of Kate Cox met the medical exception in the state's abortion law. She now plans to travel out of state to get an abortion.

The state supreme court issued its order Friday, with the court declaring that the case would remain pending. With the help of the Center for Reproductive Rights, Cox filed a lawsuit last week against the state after her unborn child was diagnosed with trisomy 18, claiming that continuing the pregnancy could risk her health and future fertility.

The article notes, "Cox, who was 20 weeks pregnant when the case was filed, was unable to get an abortion in Texas due to the state's ban on abortions except in cases where the mother's life is in danger."  

But trisomy 18 is not necessarily a death sentence, it seems; the Christian Post article also related:

According to the Cleveland Clinic, trisomy 18 is a genetic condition in which an individual has an extra copy of chromosome 18. Children diagnosed with trisomy 18 may have a low birth weight and delays in their physical growth, as well as a short life expectancy.

Babies who are born with the condition and survive are typically provided with comfort care. However, there are several types of treatment available depending on the severity of the diagnosis, including orthopedic care and heart surgery.

Unfortunately, the mother's actions, if she followed through on having an abortion out-of-state, hastened the death of this precious child. The clinic's website states:

The survival rate varies for babies born with Edwards syndrome (trisomy 18):

• Between 60% and 75% survive to their first week.

• Between 20% and 40% survive to their first month.

• No more than 10% survive past their first year.

Children born with Edwards syndrome (trisomy 18) will need specialized care to address their unique symptoms immediately after they are born. The survival rate is low, especially if your child has delayed organ development or a congenital heart condition. Out of the 10% who survive past their first birthday, children go on to live fulfilling lives with significant support from their family and caretakers, as most never learn to walk or talk.

The Christian Post article also noted: 

Pro-life advocate Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood director and the founder of And Then There Were None, an organization that helps abortion facility workers leave their jobs, called the Texas case "heartbreaking."

In a statement provided to CP, Johnson stated that, as a mother, she could empathize with Cox's situation. Instead of abortion in adverse prenatal diagnosis cases, however, Johnson advocated for mothers to have time with their children before they pass away naturally.

The 3 - December 10, 2023

This week's edition of The 3, featuring three stories of relevance to the Christian community, features a sampling from the Presidential debate in Tuscaloosa, AL, and candidate's comments regarding gender issues. Also from Alabama, a drag show met with opposition from church leaders.  Plus, while military promotions will be handled differently that in the previous few months, the Department of Defense's policy on abortion is still coming under fire. 

Gender issues have significant presence in Tuscaloosa Presidential debate

One of the major developments of our time, one that has special relevance to Christians who believe in the Biblical viewpoint of sexuality, is the gender identity movement, that can range from support for surgeries or treatments that falsely claim to change a person's sex to allowing male athletes to compete on female sports teams to allowing males and females to share private spaces, such as bathrooms or locker rooms.

Several aspects of that agenda showed up in the discussion at the recent Presidential debate in Tuscaloosa, and each candidate made statements related to the issue. The New York Post reported that former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie stated his belief that parents should decide whether or not minor children should have these treatments, stating, “I trust parents...I stood up every single time for parents to be able to make the decisions for their minor children..." He added, “The minute you start to take those rights away from parents, you don’t know, that slippery slope, what rights are going to be taken away next..." Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stated, "You do not have the right to abuse your kids. This is mutilating these minors, these are irreversible procedures...," adding, “We cannot allow this to happen in this country..."

Meanwhile Governor DeSantis and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley attempted to compare their records on matters of gender.  The Post reported, "DeSantis touted sweeping legislation that he signed into law in Florida earlier this year that banned providing minors with puberty blockers or hormone therapy and outlawed performing sex-reassignment surgeries on children."

The article went on to say that Haley...

...was forced to defend her handling of state legislation in 2016 that sought to ban transgender individuals from using restrooms that don’t align with their biological sex.

DeSantis had accused the Haley of killing the so-called bathroom bill.

“When I was governor, 10 years ago, when the bathroom situation came up, we had maybe a handful of kids that were dealing with an issue and I said, ‘We don’t need to bring government into this,” she said.

“Now, 10 years later, we see that this issue has exploded. And this shows how hypocritical Ron continues to be. When he was running for governor [in 2018] and they asked him about that, he said he didn’t think bathroom bills were a good use of his time,” Haley added, referring to an answer DeSantis gave at a Florida Republican gubernatorial forum, where he said would “not pass a law” related to transgender bathroom issues and would rather “stay out of that.”

DeSantis responded to Haley by saying, “I signed a bathroom bill in Florida, so that’s obviously not true..." Haley commented: “I also say that biological boys shouldn’t be playing girls sports, and I will do everything I can to stop that because it’s the women’s issue of our time.”

Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy said that, “transgenderism is a mental health disorder..." and the Post article related that he challenged the Florida governor to support the use of federal funds to ban “genital mutilation or chemical castration” for minors. He also noted, "We don’t let you smoke a cigarette by the age of 18. We don’t let you have an addictive drink of alcohol by the age of 21..."

Albertville, AL venue hosts drag show, event raises questions, challenge for LGBT community

After expressions of concern by leaders in the Christian community in the Northeast Alabama city of Albertville, Alabama, a drag show was staged at a local venue.  WAFF Television reported that about 250 people attended and that there was a strong police presence there.  The station's website said:

Chief J.T. Cartee says safety for everyone was the number one priority and offered another avenue on how to express their concerns.

“Don’t get mad. Pray. I’ve talked to some of the people involved in organizing the protests and they have agreed that it’d be better to hold prayer vigils at their church. Why don’t you join in and pray with them? Prayer is far more powerful than protest,” Cartee said.

But, as 1819 News reported, the city did not have jurisdiction to allow people to protest on-site, since the event was on private property.  But, it had been reported that churches in the area were encouraged to have prayer vigils during the week leading up to the event.

The 1819 News piece was written by Jennifer Oliver O'Connell, who made some valid points - I didn't agree with them all, but this passage is worth noting:

The gospel being preached to young people about drag queens is:

• You must be an exhibitionist to be yourself and be seen

• You must embrace another persona in order to be loved – who you are is never enough

And the biggest lie:

• No one will accept you if you reveal your secret life

If there are people in the community of Albertville living a life of fear, hiding in their secrets, then I would think the goal on both sides would be to offer a place of safety and openness, but most of all freedom to reveal those problems and get help. Despite the bill of goods the LGBTQ community sells, pretending to be someone or something else is not normal, and it will not make you free.

The story of Christmas is about how love came down to redeem a fallen world – to set the captives free. The prophecy in Isaiah 9:3 about the coming Messiah promises, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”

O'Connell challenged "the local church in Albertville" with this question: "How can you present that message to the LGBTQ community this Christmas season?"

She also questioned why the presenter of the event, Jessica Turner, chose to send the funds raised by the event to a charter school in Birmingham called, Magic City Acceptance Academy. She said: "Perhaps Turner should set up a suicide hotline network since this seems to concern her. If she wants to help community members feel supported and connected in order to avoid loneliness, depression, and suicide, why are proceeds being poured into the Birmingham area?"

Of course, this brings to mind another question: why is there a charter school - a public charter school supported by taxpayers - that is devoted to catering to the LGBT community?  According to the school's website, the fiscal year 2022-23 budget reflected almost $2.8 million in funding from the state and almost $660,000 from the federal government.  Why is the state board of education and the state charter board allowing this to happen?  

AL U.S. Senator allows some military promotions to go through, continues to oppose military abortion policy

Many have lauded the attempt by U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville to call attention to the Department of Defense policy to use taxpayer dollars to pay for its members to travel across state lines to have abortions.  Tuberville was not blocking any military promotions; he merely, using a rule in the Senate, called for the Senate to approve the promotions one-by-one, rather than in bulk. The Senator has been vilified for his stance, and until a rule change was approved recently by a Senate committee, was able to successfully challenge the policy.  

The Daily Citizen reports that the Senator "believes this policy violates the Hyde Amendment, which prevents the government from using taxes to fund or promote abortions. Though the DOD’s healthcare policy doesn’t directly fund abortions, it uses taxpayer’s money to facilitate them, which the senator argues is illegal."  

The website notes that Tuberville "...stopped his almost nine-month hold on the Senate’s group military promotions..., several outlets reported, announcing he wouldn’t oppose promotions of three-star generals and lower-ranked officers." The article goes on to say: "His hold on four-star generals and admirals will reportedly continue, as Tuberville vocally supports vetting people controlling the U.S. military." The catalyst for the Senator's actions, according to The Daily Citizen: "The senator’s opponents were prepared to vote on a resolution temporarily changing Senate rules to force the contested promotions through."

The 3 - December 3, 2023

This week's edition of The 3, highlighting three recent stories of relevance to the Christian community, includes the story of a professor in the U.K. who was fired from his position because of online statements consistent with a Biblical view of sexuality.  Meanwhile, a Christian school in Vermont that actually operates by Christian principles, has been excluded from participation in a tuition program and athletic events because of its Biblical approach to matters of sexuality. And, closer to home, the Alabama case involving the protection of dangerous so-called "gender-change" treatments and surgeries, has request information for a high-ranking transgender federal officials, whose communication could be helpful to the state's defense.

U.K. professor fights back in court regarding firing for Biblical views

In February of this year, a professor at a college that has been characterized as a "Christian college" tweeted this out: 

Homosexuality is invading the Church. Evangelicals no longer see the severity of this b/c they're busy apologizing for their apparently barbaric homophobia, whether or not it's true. This *is* a "Gospel issue", by the way. If sin is no longer sin, we no longer need a Saviour.

CBN.com reported about the tweet by Dr. Aaron Edwards, a professor at Cliff College in Derbyshire, England, who was dismissed from his position. The article states, "In addition to his dismissal, the college revealed that, during a disciplinary hearing on March 8, administrators considered reporting Edwards to Prevent, an initiative monitoring allegations of terrorism in the U.K." The article says:

Edwards had been employed by the college for seven years without any formal disciplinary issues or warnings, according to the Christian Legal Centre.

So, Edwards has decided to fight back against this injustice on the basis of religion. CBN states: 

He's suing Cliff College seeking damages for unfair dismissal, and compensation under the Equality Act 2010. A full employment tribunal hearing for his case is expected next year, the Christian Legal Centre said.

"Anyone concerned about academic freedom, Christian freedoms, and free speech should be deeply concerned by what has happened to me," Edwards said in a statement.

Cliff College is an entity of the Methodist Church in Britain, which, according to the article, "voted in June of 2021 to allow same-sex marriages in its churches."  The article reports:

Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre, who grew up in the Methodist Church, said she's sad to see the Methodist Church, and a once renowned Bible college lose their way by no longer upholding marriage as God defines it, or supporting those who express it.

She is quoted as saying: "The Bible is clear that homosexual practice is sinful. Dr Edwards is right that if sin is no longer sin, we no longer need Jesus as our Saviour..." She also adds the poignant warning: "Every church denomination – including Methodists and the Church of England – should confidently proclaim this vision, rather than mirror the zeitgeist..."

Vermont school excluded from sports participation challenges decisions

Mid Vermont Christian School desires to operate by that word in its title: "Christian." Yet the state of Vermont, in direct contrast to what the U.S. Supreme Court has previously said, has excluded MVCS from being part of a state tuition program and participation in sports programs.

Alliance Defending Freedom relates on its website:

Vermont, through its Agency of Education and Vermont Principals’ Association, requires private, religious schools like Mid Vermont Christian to adopt the state’s view on human sexuality and gender—namely, that sex is mutable and biological differences do not matter—as a condition to participate in the state’s tuition program and athletic association. Doing so violates the First Amendment rights of Mid Vermont Christian, its students and families, and other faith-based schools by preventing them from practicing their religious beliefs about sexuality and gender.

ADF Senior Counsel Ryan Tucker is quoted as saying, "Vermont continues its blatant discrimination against religious schools despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Carson v. Makin that the government cannot exclude families from public benefits just because they choose religious education for their children.”

The article also notes:

Although VPA has historically prohibited boys from playing on girls’ sports teams “to protect opportunities for girl athletes,” it recently adopted policies that allow biological males to participate in girls’ sports and is demanding Mid Vermont Christian adhere to those policies, even though they violate the school’s religious beliefs.

It adds:

When the Christian school reluctantly forfeited a girls’ high school basketball game against a team that had a male athlete playing for them, the VPA kicked Mid Vermont Christian out of the association.

The school, as ADF notes, has been excluded from non-athletic competitions, as well.

Transgender federal official drawn in to court case by defense of Alabama's child protection law

Fortunately, Alabama's Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act, which would protect minors from receiving treatments and surgeries that falsely promise to change their sex, is currently in effect, thanks to a ruling by the 11th Circuit federal appeals court.  But, the law has been challenged in court, and the trial is expected next year.

The Federal government has become involved in the challenge to the case, and the defense has seized on its involvement. The Daily Caller reports that a biological male who presents as a woman, Rachel Levine, who is a high-ranking official in the Department of Health and Human Services, has had her records subpoenaed, and recently a court has allowed it.  The website states:

Defendants in the case requested the documents of Levine after the Justice Department filed a complaint challenging the Alabama law in April 2022. The DOJ did not comply with the plaintiff’s request, offering the emails of a subordinate to Levine.

A court order requires Levine to release requested e-mail records, according to the article, which goes on to say:

Attorney General of Alabama Steve Marshall defended his request for Levine’s correspondence for discovery in an August 25 court filing. Marshall requested Levine’s correspondence due to Levine’s position as a vocal and powerful advocate for child sex changes.

“Yet the United States refuses to designate Admiral Rachel Levine, who has taken the lead for the federal government on gender transition issues, even though it does not dispute the relevance of Levine’s communications,” the AG says in the filing.

The Daily Caller also notes: "The World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) is also under discovery in the case, due to their guidelines for transgender youth being repeatedly referenced by plaintiffs in the case. The group is stonewalling efforts at transparency." 

In March of this year, according to KATV Television, Levine said: "'gender-affirming care' for minors enjoys the support of President Joe Biden's administration, as it has 'support at the highest levels of the federal government.'"  Levine stated that he, in the language of the article, "believes the practice of medically changing a child's gender will eventually be normalized."

The 3 - November 26, 2023

On this week's edition of The 3, featuring three stories of relevance to the Christian community, there is the story of a pro-life activist who was arrested by federal law enforcement in a particularly aggressive manner who has filed a lawsuit. Also, pro-abortion activists in Florida have crafted a new amendment that would create a constitutional right to abortion in the state and the state's Supreme Court has been petitioned to block the amendment from moving forward.  Plus, thousands of former military members kicked out of the Army for refusing to take the COVID vaccine have been invited to come back or at least have records revised.

Pro-life activist acquitted, responds by suing Justice Department

By now you may have heard the story of Mark Houck, a pro-life Pennsylvania man who, along with his son, were outside an abortion clinic in Philadelphia, when a man began to accost his son. A CBN.com story stated:

As CBN News reported, Houck was charged by the Department of Justice with counts of violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act after he shoved a pro-abortion volunteer escort who was harassing his young son outside an abortion clinic in Philadelphia.

Houck could have received up to 11 years in prison and forced to pay a $350,000 fine, according to the story, but he was "acquitted of all charges" back in January.  

But, the circumstances of his being taken into custody were quite troubling.  The CBN story states:

Mark Houck woke up on September 23, 2022, to an incessant banging on his door. When he opened it, he saw more than 15 FBI agents crowded on his front porch and the front lawn with guns pointed at him.

"They were all the way lined down my driveway," Houck told The Daily Signal. "I had agents on my porch with long guns."

Despite putting his hands up and willingly cooperating, multiple agents pointed guns in Mark's face as his family – including his seven young children – were forced to watch their dad "shackled" and taken away, family representative Brian Middleton told CBN's Faithwire at the time.

The story says that Houck "...and his wife, Ryan-Marie, have filed lawsuits against the DOJ. Their complaints detail the extent of the emotional trauma their family has experienced since that day in September." This includes three miscarriages that Ryan-Marie has suffered.

The article relates:

Houck's lawsuit describes the arrest as an "unnecessary and unlawful show of force," and he accuses the agency of intentionally seeking to assault him and deprive him of his Fourth Amendment rights "by using excessive force to arrest him on non-violent charges when he had not threatened law enforcement, did not own a gun, and had offered to turn himself in to authorities if indicted."

Houck seeks $1.1 million for malicious prosecution, retaliatory prosecution, false arrest, abuse of process, and assault. Ryan-Marie is seeking $3.25 million in damages for herself and her children.

Florida pro-abortion activists draft sample amendment

Following the approval of Issue 1 in Ohio, creating a so-called right to abortion in the state's constitution, Focus on the Family's Life Issues Analyst Nicole Hunt appeared on The Meeting House on Faith Radio and warned against other states that may be considering similar amendments.

A group of pro-abortion organizations are proposing an abortion amendment to be sent to Florida voters.  Liberty Counsel represents a group opposing the amendment, and states on its website:

The proposed amendment is sponsored by Floridians Protecting Freedom, Inc., a political committee supported by the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates, the American Civil Liberties Union, and other groups that support the termination of preborn humans through unrestricted abortion on demand.

The piece on the website notes:

Liberty Counsel has filed a reply brief on behalf of Florida Voters Against Extremism (FLVAE) urging the Florida Supreme Court to not approve the wording of a proposed amendment that would codify unrestricted abortion as a right in the state’s Constitution. In the reply brief, Liberty Counsel argues that the initiative is misleading and deceptive and violates the single subject rule. In the brief, Liberty Counsel states the sponsor completely sidesteps these legal issues and fails to provide a meaningful rebuttal.

There was pro-life analysis about deceptive language in the Ohio amendment, and the deception seems to be occurring in the Florida process.  Liberty Counsel states:

The proposed amendment misleads voters and hides the true purpose behind the amendment and its effect, which is to enshrine a right of abortion in Florida for any reason, at any stage of the pregnancy. The effect of the proposed amendment would prevent the State of Florida from regulating all abortions that a vague and undefined “healthcare provider” may deem “necessary” to protect the woman’s “health.”

Army invites members removed for not receiving COVID vaccine to re-enlist or have records revised

Well over 25,000 members of the U.S. military were reportedly denied religious exemptions from a requirement to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, according to a report on the CBN.com website, which said: "A total of 8,945 soldiers, 10,800 airmen and guardians, 4,172 sailors, and 3,717 Marines tried to get religious exemptions from taking the shot but were denied, according to Task and Purpose."  Task and Purpose is described as a "military information blog." 

Task and Purpose reports that the Army is sending out invitations to return.  It states: 

The Army separated 1,903 active duty soldiers for refusing the COVID-19 vaccination during the nearly year and a half it was mandatory, the service said. Letters were sent to approximately 1,900 troops, according to an Army spokesperson.

The article continues: "The letter comes as the Army is dealing with a recruitment crisis. The service missed its recruiting goals for this past year by nearly 15,000 soldiers. A lack of interest from Gen Z to join the military, with many citing factors as broad as the economy and job market to factors as specific as the service’s struggles with sexual assault and suicide in the ranks."

The Task and Purpose article notes: 

In October, CNN reported that only 43 of over 8,000 troops across the entire military had been discharged for refusing the vaccine and showed interest in rejoining. As of September, 19 soldiers returned to active duty, according to the Army.

The 3 - November 19, 2023

This week's edition of The 3, with three stories of relevance to the Christian community, includes an emerging story out of the U.K., where the Church of England has decided to make a "trial run" on "blessing" same-sex unions, another step, perhaps, to full endorsement of same-sex marriage.  Also, a Wisconsin city has done an about face regarding expressions of Christmas by city employees.  Plus, there's news out of Finland, where a Member of Parliament has netted a victory for free speech. 

Church of England approves LGBT-affirming action

It's not a full-blown approval of same-sex marriage - yet.  But, the Church of England, in succumbing to pressure, has voted on a measure that would try out some sort of "blessing" of same-sex unions.

Not marriage, but it does seem to be a step in that direction.  FoxNews.com reported that:

The Church of England (COE) is introducing special services meant to allow blessings for same-sex couples — without the approval of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

An amendment put forward to establish a trial run of non-matrimonial religious services for homosexual couples passed the COE parliament by just a single vote.

The Archbishop, Justin Welby didn't vote against the measure, though - he merely abstained, presumably in the name of "unity."

The article notes: 

The services are explicitly not to be considered weddings, as the COE still holds that Christian marriage is between one man and one woman.

However, as the services are allowed to utilize rings, prayers and priestly blessings, many are concerned the accommodations have effectively overruled this marital doctrine.

FoxNews.com also reported, "Gay marriage and acceptance of homosexual lifestyles have formed an increasingly devastating schism in the worldwide Anglican Communion."  It is apparent that compromise with biblical heresy is not an acceptable path to "unity." 

WI city reverses course on Christmas decorations

The city of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin had issued guidelines for its employees and property regarding Christmas decorations to reject traditional expressions of decor.  But, when push came to shove, the city backed off and attempted to redefine what it had actually said.

The Higher Ground Times, a division of The Washington Times, reported that the controversy started with an e-mail over a week ago, stating:

Melissa Cantarero Weiss, deputy city administrator, sent an email asking employees to “refrain from using religious decorations or [those] solely associated with Christmas (such as red and green colors) when decorating public spaces within city buildings.”

The article notes:

Ms. Weiss’ original email said decorations should be “inclusive” and “equitable” claiming a need to “celebrate the season without favoring any particular belief system.”

Just days later, city administrator Jim Archambo...

...wrote employees saying that while “concerns from residents” prompted “city leaders, as a team” to support the Weiss email, her message was not a policy directive, was not a “requirement to decorate or not decorate a certain way,” nor did it tell workers “they cannot bring their full selves to work.”

Employees were not told “they cannot decorate their individual work spaces,” Mr. Archambo wrote.

Yeah, right - the Higher Ground Times points out that, "the about-face came 48 hours after Liberty Counsel, a public policy nonprofit, blasted the city for an 'Orwellian and unconstitutional' prohibition."

Member of Parliament in Finland found innocent of "hate speech" for using Biblical references

A long ordeal for a Member of the Parliament in Finland seems to have come to a conclusion, at least temporarily, according to a report on the Alliance Defending Freedom website, which states that...

...the Helsinki Court of Appeal has dismissed all charges against Finnish Member of Parliament Päivi Räsänen and Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola, who were both tried for “hate speech” in August after publicly expressing their Christian beliefs.

So, what did these individuals do that was so egredious, so hateful?  ADF states:

Räsänen, Finland’s former Interior Minister and a grandmother of 11, was formally charged with “agitation against a minority group” in 2021 under a section of the Finnish criminal code titled “war crimes and crimes against humanity” for sharing her Christian beliefs on marriage and sexual ethics in a 2019 tweet, in addition to a 2019 live radio debate and 2004 church pamphlet. Pohjola was charged for publishing Räsänen’s 2004 pamphlet. The case has garnered global media attention as human rights experts voiced concern over the threat posed to free speech.

The Helsinki appeals court upheld a lower court ruling from last year, stating, that it “has no reason, on the basis of the evidence received at the main hearing, to assess the case in any respect differently from the District Court."

But the case may not be over; according to Alliance Defending Freedom:

The court has ordered the prosecution to pay tens of thousands in legal fees to cover costs incurred by both defendants. The prosecution could appeal a final time to the Supreme Court, with a deadline of Jan. 15, 2024.

The 3 - November 12, 2023

This week's edition of The 3, featuring three stories of relevance to the Christian community, offers some information on the key vote this past week in Ohio which experts say allows abortion throughout the entirety of a woman's pregnancy.  Also, there is new legislation in Congress that would prevent the implementation of an HHS rule that would force prospective foster parents of LGBT children to "affirm" that perspective.  Plus, a lawsuit that could deal a large financial blow to Planned Parenthood is being allowed by a federal judge to go forward.

Ohio voters approve abortion amendment

It would have been rejected had Ohio voters decided to raise the threshold in order to amend the state constitution to 60%.  However, that effort was rejected by the voters, and Issue 1 was approved by Ohio voters by a 57 to 43% margin.  As The Washington Stand reported:

...voters in Ohio adopted a vaguely-worded constitutional amendment creating a “right” to abortion until birth and other “reproductive decisions.”

The article says:

The amendment states: “Every individual has a right to make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions, including but not limited to” abortion, with a broad exception for the mother’s “health.” Issue 1 also bars the state from infringing on these rights “directly or indirectly.” Pro-life proponents Protect Women Ohio and the Center for Christian Virtue pointed out the term “individual” and “reproductive decisions” could erase parental rights and invent a constitutional “right” for minors to have transgender surgeries without parental consent.

It quoted Protect Women Ohio, which said: “We persevered for 50 years to overturn Roe v. Wade. Ours is a movement that has always endured, and always will. Tomorrow, the work starts again as we fight to be a voice for the voiceless,” adding, “We are just getting started.”

The Christian organization, Faith2Action, issued a press release on Christian Newswire that stated: 

In addition to the 26 Ohio legislators who issued a joint statement against Issue 1 on Tuesday, legislative leaders announced today they will be introducing bills to address Issue 1 in the Ohio House. Tuesday's joint legislative statement said in part, "This initiative failed to mention a single, specific law. We will do everything in our power to prevent our laws from being removed based upon perception of intent."

Lawmakers seek to reverse attempt to force foster agencies to place LGBTQ children with affirming parents

The Protecting Religious Freedom for Foster Families Act was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday, according to The Christian Post, which reports that is sponsored by Representatives Josh Brecheen of Oklahoma and Mary Miller of Illinois.  The article says:

The legislation’s sponsors seek to push back against what they call the administration’s “anti-Christian, far-Left agenda.”

The article states that the legislation would prevent the Administration from "implementing a rule that would require foster care agencies to place LGBT children with families that affirm their stated gender identities." The proposed rule was announced in late September, and the article notes that public comments are being taken until November 27.

Brecheen is quoted as saying, "The federal government should not force foster families to violate their sincerely held religious or moral beliefs in order to house children..."  The article also notes:

In a statement to CP, Miller cited the proposed rule as an example of how “the Biden administration is intent on pushing its radical transgender agenda, regardless of who it harms.”

"[T]hrough this proposed rule, Biden’s HHS is circumventing Congressional authority and forcing foster families to violate their deeply held religious convictions," Miller argues.

Judge says that lawsuit against Planned Parenthood can continue

Not only is Planned Parenthood committed to providing abortion, but its ethics in the area of recordkeeping has been alleged to be shoddy, according to a LifeNews.com article, which says:

Texas officials have filed a lawsuit against Planned Parenthood saying that the abortion business filed millions in false Medicaid claims for which it improperly received taxpayer reimbursement. With the repayments, damages and fines, the abortion chain could face a $1.8 billion judgment.

Following a 2021 ruling, Planned Parenthood was removed from the state's Medicaid program.  The article states: 

Medicaid is the largest stream of taxpayer funding to Planned Parenthood, and, in Texas, that funding was supposed to be cut off in after the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the state, agreeing that Texas can kick out Planned Parenthood from the program for violating the law. The decision to defund Planned Parenthood came after the abortion business was exposed selling the body parts of aborted babies.

Now, two years later, Texas wants to recover the taxpayer funds Planned Parenthood improperly received during that time period so they can be used to help Texas residents.

Federal district judge Matthew Kacsmaryk,based in Amarillo, says said the case may go forward; the article reported: "Judge Kacsmaryk ruled that Planned Parenthood is obligated to return some funds to Texas and Louisiana. A trial will decide how much."  Life News noted that this is the same judge who ruled against the distribution of the abortion pill.

The 3 - November 5, 2023

This week's edition of The 3, featuring three stories of relevance to the Christian community, includes the story of a federal judge who has halted the implementation of a Colorado law that would prevent ladies who have taken the first pill in the two-pill chemical abortion regimen from participating in an abortion pill reversal procedure.  Also, a group of California parents has gone to court to challenge state law that prevents the parents from choosing religious curriculum in an independent study in association with charter schools.  And, Christian communicators have participated in an open letter to the head of a social media platform calling for him to make good on his commitment to free speech. 

Federal judge places law that would ban abortion pill reversal on hold

The distribution of the abortion pill increased during the COVID pandemic, and since its authorization by the FDA some two decades ago, government agencies have loosened restrictions on chemical abortions.

A chemical abortion is actually accomplished through a two-pill process.  After a woman takes the first pill, mifepristone, it is still possible to reverse its effects and perhaps save the life of the baby.  Colorado attempted to ban the act of reversal, but a recent decision by a federal judge has placed that on hold.

The Daily Citizen reported:

Colorado lawmakers enacted a law (Senate Bill 190) banning hormone treatment to reverse a chemical abortion.

As reported by the Daily Citizen, the law was immediately challenged by Bella Health and Wellness, a Catholic health clinic in Colorado that offers abortion pill reversal treatment. They contend the law violates their freedom of speech and religion.

The article notes that a court in D.C. issued a 14-day hold in the spring, and Colorado's attorney general said he would not allow the law to take effect.  

Bella filed another lawsuit, and the Daily Citizen article says that...

Daniel D. Domenico wrote in his October 21st order,

There is no question whether [the law] Section Three burdens Bella Health’s free exercise of religion. It does. Bella Health considers it a religious obligation to provide treatment for pregnant mothers and to protect unborn life if the mother seeks to stop or reverse an abortion.

Parents denied ability to choose religious curriculum in independent study programs

Perhaps you heard my conversation with attorney Justin Butterfield of First Liberty on Friday's Meeting House program.  He provided an update on a case involving a group of parents participating in independent study programs through local charter schools.  They have latitude to choose curriculum, as long as there is not a religious connection.  

FoxNews.com has reported on these developments, stating:

The schools "tout" their commitment to "individualized and inclusive learning" through these programs, but with one "glaring exception" — faith-based learning material, a lawsuit says. The families, according to the suit, wanted to use high-quality curricula that comported with state standards but that also reflected a faith-based worldview but were denied. One family was even expelled.

"Our clients simply want to be able to choose curricula that fits their families’ needs without facing religious discrimination," Justin Butterfield, deputy general counsel for First Liberty said.

In my conversation with Butterfield, as well as in the Fox piece, last year's U.S. Supreme Court decision in Carson v. Makin, was referenced.  Fox quoted attorney Ethan Davis, one of the partners at King and Spalding, who said, "As the Supreme Court made clear last year in Carson v. Makin, when the government provides a benefit, like parent-directed educational funding, it cannot exclude families just because they choose to use that benefit for a religious education..."

Christian leaders among those petitioning Elon Musk to uphold free speech principles

There has been much discussion regarding social media platforms censoring certain material.  In fact, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case in which a Federal appeals court ruled that government entities conspired with social media platforms to communicate a particular perspective on a variety of issues.

An open letter was just issued to the relatively new head of X, formerly known as Twitter, which includes a number of Christian communicators.  The Alliance Defending Freedom International website reports:

Over 50 international free speech advocates, including many high-profile X (formerly Twitter) users, have united in signing an open letter to Elon Musk, on the one-year anniversary of him assuming the role of CEO of the platform.

Among those signing on to the letter are Seth Dillon of the Babylon Bee, author and columnist Rod Dreher, journalist Calvin Robinson from the U.K., Kristen Waggoner of Alliance Defending Freedom, and Paul Coleman of ADF International.

The website notes: "In August 2023, Musk famously tweeted that he would fund legal support for those who face discrimination by employers for Twitter/X posts. The letter thanks Musk for this offer of support, and requests that the same be extended to those who have suffered censorship at the hands of government authorities for peaceful expression on Twitter/X."

According to the ADF International site:

The letter requests that Musk “harness X to make clear that no one should be punished under the law for peaceful expression on X or any platform,” by

1) designating funds to support legal action challenging state-sponsored censorship of views on X;

2) create an intake mechanism on X whereby individuals can apply for this support; and

3) host X Spaces to bring worldwide attention to censorship cases involving both governments and the workplace.

The letter, posted at openlettertoelon.org, states:

Free speech is broadly protected by every major human rights treaty; however, in the West, speech increasingly is targeted by “hate speech” laws. In other regions, blasphemy laws target minority groups, sometimes with the sentence of death. These repressive laws are two sides of the same coin—both punish those who speak out against state-approved views.