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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.

Explainer: What you should know about the law protecting late-term abortions

What just happened?

Earlier this week a video clip of a Virginia lawmaker saying she would allow abortions up until the moment of birth gained national attention. In the video, Del. Kathy Tran (D-Fairfax) admits that her proposed legislation, House Bill No. 2491, would let a woman ask for a late-term abortion for mental health reasons.

Another video surfaced of Virginia Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam responding in an interview to a question about whether he supported Tran’s abortion legislation. In his response, Northam, a former pediatrician, appeared to support a form of infanticide by medical neglect. His office later released a statement saying he was referring to “tragic or difficult circumstances, such as a nonviable pregnancy or in the event of severe fetal abnormalities” when “the actions physicians would take in the event that a woman in those circumstances went into labor.”

While the videos are shocking, many Americans are unaware that the “health exception” already allows such late-term abortions in every state in the union.

This Week at the ERLC

Russell Moore was on Bret Baier’s Special Report talking about Christian schools. View his segment, which starts around 23:00, here.

Casey B. Hough, the religious liberty channel editor at the ERLC, writes at Facts & Trends about the religious liberty issues church leaders should watch in 2019. Read his article here.

Travis Wussow writes at Providence about China’s abuse of human rights. You can read his article here.

What You Need to Know

“This week, a second video about abortion went viral. But instead of New York, this one was from the general assembly in Virginia. The video features a Democratic member of the Virginia House of Delegates offering comments in defense of proposed legislation that would dramatically expand abortion laws in the commonwealth.” Read the latest update from Josh Wester here.

Those committed to the cause of life, who would see this dreadful movement reversed, must continue to work and pray. Advancing the cause of life takes many forms, from voting in elections to supporting crisis pregnancy centers. It includes showing up at city council meetings and cultivating churches that are prepared to receive and care for women, children, and families in need. It means showing the love of Christ and being a neighbor.

Supriya G. Reddy is familiar with mental illness—as a sufferer and as a caregiver. In her latest article, she shares three truths that will help people in both positions flourish in the midst of hardship: what we feel vs. what we know; the reality of hope; and the value of community. Read her whole article here.

[L]oving someone with mental illness has taught me to show grace, compassion, empathy, and patience, giving me the opportunity to be a reflection of the character of Christ in the midst of difficult life circumstances. As the sole believer in my family, ensuring that I reflect Christ’s character in the midst of hardship has provided a unique opportunity to live out the Great Commission (Matt. 28:16-20).

Women are highly valued in Scripture. This is because they are made in God’s image. The reality is, however, not all people or countries respect women as they should. One former missionary in South Asia highlights what life for women is like in some parts of India and how that can be transformed by the gospel. Read the article here.

This biblical esteeming and valuing of both sexes is still outside of the norm, especially in certain parts of the world. The highest concentration of unreached people groups is in South Asia, and one of the clearest evidences of the lack of the gospel there is the treatment of women. In 2018, India was named the most dangerous country in the world for women . . .

News From Capitol Hill

In all of our speaking and doing, the cross must be at the center. The devil doesn’t care about good policy positions. The devil doesn’t mind family values. The devil doesn’t mind people being right. What the devil fears is the blood of Jesus Christ poured out for sinners able to reconcile them to God and to one another. When we understand that, and we reorient our mission around the cross, then we will no longer fear the collapse of cultural, nominal Christianity.

We will understand that the very thing that we have to bring to the world is not our sameness to the world but our distinctiveness to the world. And we do that with a cross on our backs. Which means whatever is happening to the culture around us, our message is onward Christian strangers.

Featured Podcasts

This week on the Countermoves podcast, Andrew Walker introduces his new co-host, Mike Harder. Mike was a missionary kid in Bogota, Colombia. He returned to the states where he attended Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minn., and earned a B.A. in Church Ministry. He also holds an M.Div. degree from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary. Listen to the latest episode here.

Raleigh Sadler joins Dan Darling on The Way Home podcast to share how God calls the church to help the most vulnerable. Raleigh is the founder and executive director of Let My People Go. His passion is to see the local church fight global injustices, like human trafficking, by loving those whom traffickers most often target. Tune into their conversation here.

From The Public Square

Christian school appeals zoning fight to Supreme Court
Steve West, WORLD

Lawyers say the city should treat religious and nonreligious groups the same.

Virginia Democrat Proposes Bill Legalizing Abortion Until Birth
Grace Carr, The Daily Signal

Currently, three physicians must conclude that a third-trimester abortion is necessary to preserve the health or life of the woman. Those requirements are stripped under the proposed legislation, which also removes the state’s mandate that second and third-trimester abortions be performed in hospitals.

Four Facts About the Economic Well-Being of Black Men in America
Institute for Family Studies

Black men who frequently attended church services at a young age are more likely to reach the middle class or higher in their fifties.

Asia Bibi free to leave Pakistan
Kiley Crossland, WORLD

The Pakistani Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the acquittal of Asia Bibi, the Catholic woman and mother of five sentenced to death in 2010 for blasphemy against Islam.