The Weekly is a highlight of the work the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission is doing to strengthen you and our churches for God’s glory.

5 Facts about Boris Johnson

Earlier this week Boris Johnson was elected the new Conservative leader in a ballot of party members and will become the next prime minister of the United Kingdom.

Here are five facts you should know about this controversial world leader.

1. Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson was born in New York City in 1964. Because his father was an Englishman studying economics at Columbia University, Boris was granted both American and British citizenship. He lived in the U.K. and the U.S. on and off until the age of 5 before moving back to England on a permanent basis. Because he was a dual citizen, in 2015 the IRS demanded Johnson pay capital gains tax on the hundreds of thousands of dollars in profit made in the sale of his home in North London. Johnson paid the tax before giving up his American citizenship in 2017. Had he retained his citizenship, Johnson could have run for election as president of the United States after serving out his term as prime minister of the U.K.

This Week at the ERLC

• The ERLC’s internship program is wrapping up after a great summer. If you or someone you know is interested in interning with us next summer, visit our site.

• It’s never too early to begin thinking about Christmas! Every year, the Angel Tree Program from our friends at Prison Fellowship helps bring Christmas to the children of those who are in prison and their families to make sure their needs are met during that special time of year. Prison Fellowship mobilizes local churches and community organizations to give hundreds of thousands of children a gift, the gospel message, and a personal message of love on behalf of their incarcerated parent. There’s no better way to show the love of Christ than blessing these children. So, during this Christmas in July, be sure to sign up your church or ministry for Angel Tree!

What You Need to Know

• What does an abortion doctor do when she gets pregnant? Does she change her mind about her profession? Courtney Reissig reflects on a recent op-ed that captured this struggle and calls Christians to do the work of caring for those who would walk through the doors of an abortion clinic. Read her article here.  

A mother’s instinct is strong, which is why denying it only works for so long. In many cases, the distortion of a mother’s instinct leads a woman to choose the impossible—taking the life of her own baby. But there are other options that we, as the Church, should point mothers to, and help them achieve. Someone has to do the work of helping women—and the lives of those inside their wombs—which is why we have our work cut out for us

• The ERLC is advocating in D.C. on behalf of Southern Baptists every day. Yet, what does that mean? And what does it look like? Chelsea Patterson Sobolik answers these questions and more in her most recent article. Read it here.

Advocacy is an effective way to get involved in the legislative process and the public square, and the ERLC regularly advocates before our government for issues Southern Baptists care about and believe in. An advocate is someone who “pleads the cause of another” or “who defends a cause.” In Scripture, we learn that Christ is our advocate before the Father. So, what types of policies should Christians care about and advocate for? Scripture is clear in multiple places that we should care about and defend the vulnerable.

• Jessica Burke thinks every family should enjoy reading aloud together. In her latest article, she points out why this particular way of reading is so valuable. In addition, she gives us three ways that we can make the most of this practice. You can find her advice here. 

Independent reading is important. Words are everywhere, and we must be able to decode and comprehend their meaning. Our quality of life is often dependent on being able to read words for ourselves—medicine bottles, warning signs, leases, and job descriptions. If reading filled only these utilitarian purposes, then we’re right to stop reading aloud. But reading aloud to our children is not a crutch like training wheels or a swim float. It is not something we do to bide time until they can do it alone. We cheat our children—and ourselves—when we stop reading aloud to them just because they can do it independently.

News From Capitol Hill

During appropriations negotiations, the ERLC policy team closely monitors the various policies that could be advanced or dismantled during this process. One way legislators make policy is by adding their desired aims into government spending bills. Many of the appropriations bills currently coming out of the House include language that would codify sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) issues into federal law. Essentially, repackaging and promoting the aims of a bill like the Equality Act.

Protecting appropriations bills against these kinds of policies is important not only for good governance but also for the defense of America’s first freedom, religious liberty. The ERLC opposes SOGI appropriations riders and the Equality Act because these policies would steamroll conscience rights in bringing a dramatic shift in civil rights law, religious liberty, and the foundations of civic pluralism. The redefinition of “sex” in the list of protected classes as “sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity)” is as logically inconsistent as it is devastating to the generations of American effort to ensure the equality of all men and women. 

While it remains unlikely for the Senate to take up the House passed Equality Act as a standalone bill, Senators must be vigilant to the SOGI language is in the House originated appropriations bills. The ERLC is working to make sure the Senate remains diligent in removing such harmful language.

Featured Podcasts

From The Public Square

From DC to Mecca, Should ‘Human Dignity’ Be the New ‘Religious Freedom’?
Jayson Casper, Christianity Today

Shift in human rights language could allow for greater acceptance in the Muslim world.

There are 16 million slaves around the world making our stuff
Annalisa Merelli, Quartz

While it’s easy to believe that slavery is limited to poor or underdeveloped countries, or countries with a questionable human rights record, it is actually happening everywhere.

Death rates increasing for U.S. adults aged 25 to 44: CDC
Ella Torres, ABC News

Death rates are on the rise for young and middle-aged U.S. adults, with white and black people experiencing higher mortality than Hispanic people, according to new research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published Tuesday.

The Debate Over Commercial Surrogacy Is Dividing Champions of the Sexual Revolution
Ashley McGuire, Institute for Family Studies 

The industry largely preys on low-income women who turn to surrogacy out of financial desperation, a reality that has led most other countries in the world to ban the procedure.