This week marked 48 yearssince Title IX became law,opening the door for women and girls to have equal opportunitiesto compete in sports. In the time since then there has been a remarkable increasein female involvement in athletics. Now, two in every five girls plays sports, ten times the number that did when Title IX went into effect.In less than 50 years, Title IX has created opportunities for women and girls offering advantages that go far beyond the accolades of the playing field.
Lisa Hoffer is one of those young women.Lisa began playing softball when she was five and basketball when she was seven. An accomplished athlete, she received multiple awards throughout high school, including All Conference Honors in both sports, the ExCEL Award during her junior year, and becoming her high school’s All Time Women’s Leading Scorer in basketball during her senior year. She has gone on to play both sportsat Bethel University where her basketball team qualified for the NCAA tournament this year.
I never thought I would have to tell my children that there would be negative consequences for believing that God created us distinctly male or distinctly female, or, that the U.S. Supreme Court would redefine “sex,” in certain provisions of the law, contradicting basic biology.
Earlier this week, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a landmark opinion concerning the meaning of the word “sex” in Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Acts. Six unelected Justices on the U.S. Supreme Court turned biology and the English language on its head when the majority held that “sex” has the same meaning as “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” in discrimination claims.” Dissenting, Justice Alito, stated “There’s only one word for what the Court has done today: legislation…A more brazen abuse of our authority to interpret statutes is hard to recall.” Citing to the myriad of unsuccessful attempts by Congress to change the meaning of the word “sex” in Title VII, he explained, “[t]he questions in these cases is not whether discrimination because of sexual orientation or gender identity should be outlawed. The question is whether Congress did that in 1964. It indisputably did not.”
Casting aside biological realities will have consequences, despite the majority’s contention that “bathrooms, locker rooms, or anything else of the kind” are for another day. We’re still left wondering about the impact of this ruling on religious freedom – particularly religious schools and other ministries. And what about the impact on women? We’re still left to wonder, can a male identifying as a female really win a women’s sports title? This decision certainly serves as an invitation for lower courts to continue building on this narrative, further redefining the meaning of the word “sex.” The consequence are real, and the outcomes are unpredictable, as the Court left many of these questions unanswered. Surely a myriad of lawsuits seeking these answers are forthcoming.
Many abortion activists insist that “abortion is a decision between a woman and her doctor!” This line of argument is used in an attempt to shut down the abortion debate, painting the pro-life movement as an intrusion on women’s privacy and healthcare. But how accurate is this claim? The claim that abortion is “between a woman and her doctor” makes two assumptions. First, that the woman seeking an abortion is the only person affected by her decision,and secondly, that abortion is performed exclusively for medical reasons.
Regarding the first assumption, we have to keep in mind that abortion is really about the life of the child in the womb. Neither a woman nor her doctor have the moral right to make a decision to end the life of another human being. Because of this, we cannot say that abortion is a private decision that ought to be kept between a woman and her doctor. In no other circumstances would we say that two people have a right to make a “private decision” determining whether or not another person should live or die. The death of millions of innocent humans is an issue that touches every single member of our society because disregard for the value and dignity of human life anywhere is a threat to human life everywhere. It is not up to a woman and her doctor to decide that a child does not get to live.
Yesterday the St. Paul City Council voted unanimously to enact a ban on so-called “conversion therapy,” following Minneapolis’s lead last fall. Despite the rhetoric, the ban is actually an attack on individual choice in health care as well as on the constitutional rights of therapists, patients, and families. St. Paul’s proposed ban could prevent mental health professionals from helping patients explore all options when addressing questions over sexual orientation and gender identity, something they should be free to do. “Young people should have access to voluntary, compassionate, client-driven care in the field of sexual identity that pursues the goals of the patient, including living in accordance with biblical teaching on sexuality or becoming more comfortable with their biological sex,” said John Helmberger, CEO at Minnesota Family Council.
The difference between what these bans claim to address and what they actually target is significant. Proponents of “conversion therapy” bans frequently point to horror stories of extreme, abusive instances of aversion therapy tactics. No one is arguing that these unethical practices should be used. Any licensed mental health professional who attempts to utilize such methodsshould lose their license. But as World magazine noted regarding Minneapolis’s ban, “Minneapolis council members… missed one glaring problem: Most tales of abuse apparently do not involve a licensed mental health professional.” These bans only address the actions of licensed mental health professionals who are already held to a standard of ethics that keeps them from resorting to the tactics described by proponents of these bans. If so-called “conversion therapy” bans were really addressing abusive situations, they would be redundant. The “conversion therapy” that these bans seek to limit is talk therapy, in which a licensed mental health professional helps their client through questions and conversation.“Conversion therapy” bans limit what counselors can say and what kind of questions they can ask when their client is dealing with questions regarding their sexual identity.
In March, as nursing homes were beginning to limit visitors in order to slow the spread of COVID-19, the heartwarming story of a man visiting his father at a Minnesota nursing home every day, sitting outside his window while chatting with him on the phone, made its way into many social media feeds. The story offered encouragement and hope in the midst of uncertainty. Come what may, the most vulnerable members of our communities would be cared for and we would weather this storm together. Putting nursing homes in lockdown and keeping families away from loved ones may be difficult, but if it was keeping people safe, it must be worth it, right?
By late Aprilthings had shifted. It became clear that elderly populationsmight not be as safe in nursing homes as people had hoped, and by the third week of May, Alpha News reported that Minnesota had the highest percentage nursing-home related COVID-19 deaths nationwide. What happened? Minnesota had followed New York and other states in funneling COVID-19 patients out of hospitals and into nursing homes.
During the height of the COVID-19 lockdowns, the Abortion Pill Rescue Network received a record number of calls. In February a mother gave birth to twins who were saved through the abortion pill reversal. Early this year a little boy named Isaiah celebrated his first birthday thanks to the Abortion Pill Rescue Network. To date the Abortion Pill Reversal Network has saved over 1,000 babies. Now abortion pill reversal websites are currently under attack as a pro-abortion “watchdog” group, Campaign for Accountability (CFA), demands that the FDA remove these websites.
Abortion pill reversalwebsites offer lifesaving hope. When a woman begins the abortion reversal process, the abortion industry has already made their money off of her, so why are the abortion industry’s allies dead set on taking down these websites? Because women who change their minds and find help from abortion pill reversal groups to save their babies challenge the abortion industry’s narratives. By choosing hope, they demonstrate that women do not need abortion in order to be successful and they promote a culture of life through their actions. Abortion pill reversals empower women to choose life, and that threatens the abortion industry and their allies.
Like the rest of the nation, New York City has seen protestors flood the streets in response to the killing of George Floyd. And yet, as protestors gather by the thousands, the city is still technically under lockdown and is scheduled to begin phase one of reopening next week. Throughout the state,worship services are still limited to gatherings of no more than 10 people and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has threatened to permanently close churches in New York City that hold worship services without his permission. A week ago he said that it would be “very dangerous” to reopen churches, saying that “it is not the time to start large gatherings of any kind.”
In a press conference yesterday, Mayor de Blasio was asked why the city is applying one standard to protestors and another to everyone else. De Blasio responded by saying,
When you see a nation, an entire nation simultaneously grappling with an extraordinary crisis seeded in 400 years of American racism… That’s not the same question as the understandably aggrieved store owner, or the devout religious person who wants to go back to services. This is something that’s not about which side of the spectrum you’re on. It’s about a deep, deep American crisis…
In the days following May 25, the world witnessed the horror and injustice of George Floyd’s death, face down on the ground with Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin’s knee on his neck. In killing Floyd, Chauvin demonstrated a complete disregard for Floyd’s value and dignity as one of God’s image-bearers. It was a violation of the 5th Commandment, and those of us who are pro-life should be as outraged and grieved by Floyd’s murder as we are by abortion. In both cases, the destruction of human life is a grievous sin and a crime.
God hates injustice, and George Floyd’s death should grieve and anger us because it grieves and angers God. All earthly injustice finds its final, eternal end in the justice of God. This is a source of hope in the midst of evil; ultimately, justice will prevail. It is also the reason that we love and pursue justice now. We seek earthly justice because we love the God who is just and because earthly justice points people to who God is.
Right now Minnesota is facing tragedy upon tragedy and injustice upon injustice. In the time since George Floyd was killed, we have watched as our cities have erupted in flames and rioters and looters have exploited the situation, drowning out the voices of peaceful protestors,endangering people, destroying homes, and robbing people of their livelihoods. The actions of the rioters display a disregard for human life and dignity as they wreak havoc and desolation on communitiesthat are already struggling from the economic implications of COVID-19. What we are witnessing in our cities right now is the devastation that human sinfulness unleashes on fellow image-bearers.
A year ago next Monday, Former Vice President and presumptive Democratic Presidential Nominee Joe Biden declared the LGBT agenda to be his number one campaign priority. Although he is currently centering his campaign around this issue, the former vice president’s shift to embrace this radical agenda has been gradual. His critics on the left have described him as slow to outline policy proposals advancing the LGBT movement and Senator Bernie Sanders has criticized Biden’s record as not being pro-LGBT enough.One liberalcommentator pointed out that this shift is typical of Biden’s stance—he begins moderate and then moves to a more extreme position. While Biden may have a history of being less extreme than other left-wing politicians, the policies outlined by his current campaign are anything but moderate. In fact, he has centered his campaign around some truly radical viewpoints, which has earned him an endorsement from the largest LGBT organization in the U.S.
In the time since he publicly declared the LGBT agenda to be his top campaign priority, Biden has, among other things, publicly committed to making Equality Act legislation a priority within the first 100 days of taking office if he is elected. The so-called Equality Act would make gender identity and sexual orientation a protected status under the Civil Rights Act. This would mean that if a biological male claiming to be female demanded entry to female locker rooms or restrooms, it would be a civil rights violation to deny him entry. His “gender identity”would override the privacy rights of women and girls. Similarly, schools would be required to allow male athletes who identify as female to compete on girls’ sports teams. Biden’s proposed policies would also allow male inmates to be housed in women’s prisons on the basis of genderidentity, with Biden explaining, "In prison, the determination should be that your sexual identity is defined by what you say it is [and] not what the prison says it is."
Beginning today,churches in Minnesota will be allowed to once again gather for worship, according to a revised order from Governor Walz on Saturday and updated guidelines from the Minnesota Department of Health.
On May 18, Governor Walz’s shelter in placeorder was replaced with the Stay Safe Minnesota order, which outlined the first phase of the gradual reopening of the state. To the disappointment of many people of faith, the new order left places of worship in limbowhile allowing secular businesses to open up.Many churches had been preparing safe opening plans, only to be told that church services are “unpredictable” and therefore less safe than going shopping. As Minnesota Family Council’s Renee Carlson pointed out, “If any predictable ordered gathering exists it is worship services,” a fact that Walz has since acknowledged.
The early days of the COVID-19 outbreakcoincided with ongoing efforts in multiple states to keep radical, agenda driven comprehensive sex education (CSE) out of children’s classrooms. Parents in Washington state have been working to repeal a recent mandatory comprehensive sex ed law, finding ways to creatively connect with other parents and get the word outduring a pandemic, while in Texas, parents have been fighting Austin Independent School District’sexplicit sex ed program that was expected to be taught in May. After the stateprevented schools from using Planned Parenthood’s curriculum, the school district opted for an even more radical curriculum from a Canadian abortion provider.
Concerned parents had planned an organized sit out, which then moved to an online event. As schooling shifted online, the school district suddenly chose to cancel sex education for the year. While they did not cite parental concernsas their reason for the sudden decision, the number of parents speaking up probably did not make the school eager to bring this controversial curriculum into students’ homes. If Austin ISD had not cancelled their sex ed program for the year, what might those parents have discovered being taught in their children’s online classrooms?
After lending her name to the landmark Supreme Court case that legalized abortion,Norma McCorvey, better known as Jane Roe, became a pro-life ally,appearing at marches, rallies, and outside of abortion facilities to tell herstoryand defend life.Then yesterdayheadlines crowing that “Woman behind U.S. abortion ruling was paid to recant” and “The woman Behind Roe v. Wade didn’t change her mind. She was paid” began sweeping across the internet. According to a documentary set to air on Hulu this Friday,McCorvey eitherrecanted her pro-life stance near the end of her life, or perhaps never was pro-life at all.
The documentary called “AKA, Jane Roe,” tells the story of Roe v. Wade from the viewpoint of an aging Norma McCorvey, using footage from shortly before her death. In the film she refers to her statements as her “deathbed confession.” McCorvey says, “If a young woman wants to have an abortion—fine… You know, that’s why they call it ‘choice.’ It’s your choice,” and suggests that her public pro-life stance was financially motivated, although it is worth noting that, contrary to the headlines, there is no evidence that she was actually paid to becomepro-life.
The abortion industry is partnering with the ACLU to encourage minors to work around laws requiring parental consent for abortion. According to the pro-abortion website Rewire, a North Carolina abortion group has partnered with the state’s ACLU to set up a text line where minors can receive help outmaneuvering the state’s abortion laws. The text line called Text Abby targetsteens in North and South Carolina and is modeled after a similar text line based out of Texas, Jane’s Due Process. Currently 21 states require consent of one or both parents before a teenager may undergo an abortion, and 11 states, including Minnesota, require parental notification. All of these states have a judicial bypass provision that allows a judge to excuse minors from meeting this requirement. Text lines like Text Abby and Jane’s Due Process go behind parents’ backs to obtain permission from a judge for teens to get abortions without their parents’ knowledge or consent.
The abortion industry thrives on building distrust between teens and their parents. Parental consent laws, on the other hand, provide an opportunity for teens to communicate with their parents and receive help and support. Circumventing these laws erodes teens’ relationships with their parents, and also places young women in harm’s way by taking away an important safeguard in the fight against abuse and human trafficking.
In the most recent Executive Order 20-56 addressing Minnesota’s COVID-19 rules, Governor Walz made significant changes for some and not others. The basis for these orders continues to be "predictability." Ironically, the governor is still prohibiting some of the most predictable and controlled events and gatherings - the order expressly prohibits “gatherings of 10 or more” including “faith-based gatherings.” But other industries, businesses, and big box stores are opening soon pursuant to suggested state and federal guidelines. Even the Mall of America is predicted to reopen in some capacity on June 1st, along with some bars and restaurants.
In his announcement Wednesday evening, Governor Walz commented that it is easier to predict interaction in the aisles of a store than it is to predict or control interactions in other settings, including “faith-based gatherings”. For a moment I thought I misheard him, which was not the case. Two emotions were most prevalent following this statement and throughout the rest of the announcement. First, I’ll admit, I was quite baffled. Ask any Pastor, even under these fluid circumstances, and he or she can tell you their exact location at any given moment throughout a worship service. The location and interactions of most any church staffer and member of the congregation is equally predictable. Even more, any church pastor, staffer or congregant can also tell you a number of other specifics that no retail or business can "predict", including but not limited to: 1) a specific time in which the service commences and concludes; 2) traffic flow of persons entering and exiting the building; 3) the exact number of people allowed to enter and exit the building, while also closing and limiting capacity; 4) deliberate space and cessation of movement between individuals; and 5) specific hygiene and sanitary regimens before, during and after each service. If any predictable ordered gathering exists it is worship services. Arguably, this applies to all types of worship services - Mosques, Synagogues, and all Catholic and Protestant denominations.
The California legislatureis considering a bill that, if passed, would establish a taxpayer fund that would pay for “gender affirming healthcare services” such as hormone therapy and “gender reassignment” surgery. Assembly Bill 2218, which is expected to be brought to a voteon May 18, would put $15 million toward “treatments” that have never been approvedby the Food and Drug Administration. In a letter to California lawmakers, Family Research Council’s Peter Sprigg points out that this bill also funds “programming that essentially amounts to ideological indoctrination” by funding educational materials from organizations that affirm transgender ideology while denyingfunding to groups that do not encourage people to “transition.”
Earlier this year, The Public Discourse pointed out that the best studies on the effects of transgender “treatment” have shown the worst results.Despite the evidence of the harm caused by ideology-driven practices, California’s bill would require healthcare providers receiving grant money to partner and consult with trans-led organizations in order to implement a “trans-inclusive healthcare program.”
Attorneys helping three high school girls fight to protect girls’ sports in Connecticut are asking a district judge to recuse himself after he forbid them from referring to two biological males as males. In February, three high school girls filed a lawsuit against the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference with the help of Alliance Defending Freedom, challenging the decision to allow male athletes who identify as female to compete in female sporting events. During the 2018-19 competition season, two male athletes had dominated high school girls track, costing Selina Soule, Alana Smith, and Chelsea Mitchell competitive opportunities and chances at scholarships. Attorneys are asking district judge Robert Chatigny to recuse himself after he informed them that they must refer to the two male athletes as transgender females. According to Chatigny, referring to them as males is inaccurate, inconsistent with science, and “needlessly provocative.” He went on to say, “This isn’t a case involving males who have decided that they want to run in girls’ events. This is a case about girls who say that transgender girls should not be allowed to run in girls’ events.”
The problem with Chatigny’s statement is that this is a case involving males who have decided they want to run in girls’ events. By requiring the attorneys to use the term “transgender females” instead of “males,” Chatigny has already taken a side, and his claim that this is consistent with science is simply not true. Science confirms that men and women are different, and that these differences give male athletes a competitive advantage over female athletes. Men have larger heart and lungs than women, denser bones, and more muscle mass, and hormone therapy does not remove these physiological differences. Asking for these differences to be recognized in order to protect girls’ sports is not discriminatory, but refusing to protect competitive opportunities for women and girls will spell the end of women’s sports.
A senior Army chaplain stationed at U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys in South Korea,is facing backlash for sharing Coronavirus and Christ, a book written by the former pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, with several other military chaplains. In late March John Piper, who currently serves as Chancellor at Bethlehem College and Seminary, wrote Coronavirus and Christ, a short book to encourage believers amidst the unknowns of COVID-19. After reading it, Senior Chaplain Col. Moon H. Kim passed a PDF of the book along to several of hisfellow chaplains. In his email he wrote, “This book has helped me refocus my sacred calling to my savior Jesus Christ to finish strong. Hopefully this small booklet would help you and your Soldiers, their Families and others who you serve.”
Although there was nothing out of line in Kim’s actions, he is now facing calls for disciplinary action to be taken against him. Michael “Mikey” Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation penned a letter on behalf of 22 clients who have chosen to remain anonymous describing Kim’s email as “shocking” and calling his choice to send Piper’s book to other military chaplains “egregious and deplorable.” Weinstein writes that MRFF “demands that Army Chaplain (Colonel) Kim be officially, swiftly, aggressively, and visibly investigated and disciplined in punishment for his deplorable actions...” He told the Christian Post that he is calling for Kim to be subject to general court-martial.
Today is the National Day of Prayer, a day for Christians across America turn to focus on turning to God in prayer and asking him to make himself known in our nation and around the world. Scripture calls us to pray for our government leadersas they exercise God-given authority.In 1 Timothy 2 Paul writes, “I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” Romans 13 tells us that governing authorities are instituted by God for our good. As we pray for our nation, let’s pray for our local and national leaders that God would use them and guide to govern in a manner that honors him.
Let’s also pray for our neighborhoods and communities, asking God to be at work in the hearts and lives of the people around us, and that because of the work he does to transform hearts and lives our communities would become places where life is cherished and God’s design for family is embraced. Prayer is powerful and God works through the prayer of his people.In James we are reminded,
The prayer of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect. Elijah was a human being as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for six years and six months it did not rain in the land. Then he prayed again and the land produced its fruit.
Elijah prayed for God’s glory to be displayed in a nation that had turned away from God, and God answered that prayer. Let’s set aside time today to pray that God would be known in our neighborhoods, our state, and our nation and that he would use his people to spread the hope of the gospel. Political involvement and community engagement matter, but we do nothing apart from God. As we seek the good of our state and nation, we must turn to God every step of the way, relying on him to meet our needs and to transform hearts.
Pastor Kevin Wilson of Lighthouse Fellowship Church in Virginia received a criminal citationafter holding a Palm Sunday service with 16 people in a sanctuary that can hold up to 293 congregants, potentially facing a year in jail and a fine of $2,500. On April 5, police entered the sanctuary and informed those gatheredthat, even with everyone amply spaced,they could not hold a service with 16 people. After the service Pastor Wilson was served a summonsand informed that if he held services on Easter, everyone in attendance would face the same charges.
In response to this incident, Lighthouse Fellowship filed a lawsuit against Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, with the help of Liberty Counsel. The complaint points out that, while religious gatherings are not allowed to have more than 10 people, even if they are able to maintain social distancing, non-religious entities, such as retail stores, businesses, and law firms, are not subject to that same 10 person limit if social distancing guidelines are being followed. It goes on to note that Lighthouse Fellowship does not have the resources or equipment to offer internet-based services, and even if they did, many in their congregation have limited internet access and would not be able to utilizeinternet-based church services. Lighthouse Fellowship also requested a temporary restraining order to block enforcement of Northam’s orders, but was denied on Friday.
Marriage rates in the United States reached an all-time low in 2018, according to a recent report from the National Center for Health Statistics. Looking at marriage rates from going back to 1867, the earliest year on record, the report found that marriage rates dropped to 6%, or 6.5 new marriages per 1,000 people in 2018. The Wall Street Journalpoints out that instead of marriage, many couples are choosing cohabitation.
This trend is expected to continue. The report noted that a record number of youth and young adults are projected to completely forgo marriage. Curtin also predicts that COVID-19 could negatively affect marriage rates, pointing out that many couples who put off marriage cite economic concerns as a driving factor for their decision.
