The Weekly is a rundown of news by the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission highlighting the week’s top news stories from the public square and providing commentary on the big issues of our day.

Editor’s Note: We wanted to let you know about this really important new initiative from our friends at Alliance Defending Freedom. We are grateful for the way they come alongside churches and ministries to help defend and protect religious liberty.

“The team at Alliance Defending Freedom have consistently proven themselves to be the kind of convictional and talented advocates that Christians and churches are in need of today,” says ERLC President Russell Moore. “I have no doubt that Church Alliance will benefit ministries across the country by establishing such a partnership between local churches and attorneys committed to safeguarding our most fundamental liberties.”

Is Your Church Prepared to Handle a Challenge to its Religious Liberty?

By Erik Stanley

What would you do if a situation arose in your church that directly threatened the religious liberty of the church? Would you know what steps to take to proactively protect your church’s religious liberty? If someone filed a lawsuit against your church simply for exercising your religious beliefs, would you know how best to defend against it?

Churches face an increasingly difficult culture and some have even found themselves in the middle of legal situations where the religious liberty of the church hangs in the balance. At the time I am writing this article, Alliance Defending Freedom is assisting over fifty different churches on religious liberty issues that have the potential to turn into litigation. And we currently have over a dozen cases in or close to litigation where we are working to defend the constitutional rights of churches. These are churches from across the country. They are big and small in size and from all denominations and theological tribes. The fact situations in all these cases are varied, showing that religious liberty issues can arise in unexpected places. And this is just one snapshot in time.

As an attorney who has litigated on behalf of churches and pastors for the last 10 years, and has litigated religious liberty cases for the past 18 years, I can say without hesitation that churches need legal help in today’s world to protect their religious liberty. It is not a matter of if churches will face legal challenges to their religious liberty but rather where and when. 

This week on ERLC podcasts: Daniel Darling talks to Jamie Ivey, a popular podcaster, writer, and adoptive mother about what God is teaching her about image and identity. On the Capitol Conversations podcast, Matt Hawkins and Jeff Pickering talk to Melissa Swearingen from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops about the Conscience Protection Act. And on the new ERLC podcast series, “How to Handle,” Trillia Newbell talks to David Murray about Christians and depression.

Other Issues

American Culture

Americans Say Religious Aspects of Christmas Are Declining in Public Life
Pew Research

Shrinking majority believe biblical account of birth of Jesus depicts actual events.

Justice Department probes fetal tissue transfers involving Planned Parenthood
Jennifer Haberkorn, Politico

The Justice Department is investigating the sale of human fetal tissue involving Planned Parenthood and several biomedical research companies, according to a letter the agency sent to Capitol Hill.

Bioethics

Fighting taxpayer-funded abortion in Illinois
Samantha Gobba, WORLD News Service

Opponents of an Illinois law that would allow state funding of abortion on demand for state employees and Medicaid recipients have filed suit.

Are ‘Wrongful Birth’ Lawsuits the Future of Pregnancy?
Bethany Mandel, Acculturated

Gann views it as merciful to end her child’s life in the safety of a mother’s womb. Considering we can easily view a baby’s humanity on ultrasound at that stage of life, that’s a shocking view, albeit one unfortunately shared by many.

Christianity and Culture

Jerusalem: Trump declaration sparks Baptists' reactions
David Roach, Baptist Press

As violence continued in the Middle East after President Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, Southern Baptists expressed a range of views on the topic.

Roy Moore Was ‘a Bridge Too Far’ for Alabama Evangelicals
Jeremy Weber, Christianity Today

Al Mohler says Senate election “sends a signal” to the Republican Party—and to conservative Christians.

Health Issues

Study Of 1.8 Million Women Links Birth Control And Breast Cancer
Kelsey Harkness, The Federalist

Danish researchers have found there are approximately 13 additional breast cancer cases for every 100,000 women who use hormonal contraception for one year.

Marriage Issues

Evangelicals and Domestic Violence: Are Christian Men More Abusive?
W. Bradford Wilcox, Institute for Family Studies

Faith appears to play a positive role in the lives of American families, especially husbands and wives who attend church regularly.

Religious Liberty

Judge denies Texas churches’ aid request in FEMA lawsuit
Associated Press

A judge on Thursday denied an emergency request for relief funds by three Texas churches damaged during Hurricane Harvey that are suing the federal government over how it offers disaster aid to houses of worship.

Christian Student Organization Sues University of Iowa Over Anti-Discrimination Rule
Howard Friedman , Religion Clause

A Christian student organization, Business Leaders in Christ, brought suit yesterday against the University of Iowa challenging the University's de-registration of the organization.

Sexuality Issues

Will the Trump Administration Push Back Against Transgender Ideology in Schools?
Jane Robbins and Emmett McGroarty, Public Discourse

Until policy-makers and the public realize the factual and moral bankruptcy of transgender ideology, pressure will continue to mount to normalize the tragically abnormal.

Supreme Court Declines Gay Rights Work Discrimination Case
Associated Press

The Supreme Court is leaving in place a lower court ruling that a federal employment discrimination law doesn't protect a person against discrimination based on their sexual orientation.

The Environmental Cost of Internet Porn
Matt Kessler, The Atlantic

So many people watch porn online that the industry’s carbon footprint might be worse now that it was in the days of DVDs and magazines.