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Good afternoon! It's Friday, July 29, and today's headlines include 22 states that are suing the USDA for tying school lunch funding to compliance with LGBT ideology, religious liberty groups that are speaking out about the Biden administration's proposed rule that could force doctors to perform abortions and trans surgeries, and a group of more than 80 religious and conservative leaders that have sent a letter urging the Senate to oppose a bill that would codify a right to same-sex marriage into federal law.
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More than 20 state attorneys general have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture for threatening to withhold funds for the National School Lunch Program from schools that do not comply with the Biden administration's LGBT ideology. The USDA's Food and Nutrition Service announced on May 5 its intention to interpret "the prohibition on discrimination based on sex found in Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972" to include "discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity." On Tuesday, Tennessee's Republican Attorney General, Herbert Slatery, joined 21 other Republican attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against the USDA and its top officials in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee
Knoxville Division. Other attorneys general are from states such as Arizona, Georgia, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Virginia. The states contend that the USDA's interpretation of Title IX would cause the plaintiff states to lose federal funding for the National School Lunch Program and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) Program. Read more.Also of Interest ... |
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Law firms specializing in religious liberty cases have denounced a newly proposed rule from the Biden administration that critics assert will force doctors to perform abortions and body mutilating "gender transition" surgeries, even if they're morally opposed to the practices. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' proposed rule, which was announced on Monday, would implement antidiscrimination measures on the basis of sex, based on earlier actions by the Biden administration. "This proposed rule ensures that people nationwide can access health care free from discrimination," said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, as quoted in the announcement. Becket Law's Luke Goodrich explained to The Christian Post that it was "yet another proposal to force doctors and
hospitals across the country to perform gender transitions and abortions in violation of their conscience and medical judgment." Read more. |
Also of Interest...
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A three-judge panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled Thursday that a Catholic school in Indiana can lawfully refuse to renew the contract of a guidance counselor because she was in a same-sex marriage, which violates Catholic teaching. Circuit Judge Michael Brennan authored the panel opinion, concluding that Starkey fit the legal description of a minister and could be dismissed by the school for rejecting Catholic teaching on marriage based on a ministerial exception, which is a legal principle that protects churches and religious institutions from legal action taken by employees who perform religious functions. It is designed to protect religious institutions from government influence. Read more. |
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Evangelical progressive social activist, author and professor Ron Sider, who founded the group Christians for Social Action, died Wednesday at 82. Sider announced in 2021 that he had an aggressive form of bladder cancer but intended to fight it "with all my might." CSA Executive Director Nikki Toyama-Szeto announced Thursday that Sider died of cardiac arrest after a hospital stay for other medical issues on Wednesday evening. Read more. |
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Michael Brown writes about Vice President Kamala Harris declaring her preferred gender pronouns during a recent speech to a group of disability advocates and "the cultural madness that set the stage for her comments." Urging people not to become accustomed to this "social insanity," Brown highlights comments from Mary Chastain, who describes herself as nearly vision impaired: "[M]y main problem with Harris is her introduction of herself to the table of blind and visually impaired people. It’s patronizing and dumb. We’re not stupid." Read more. |
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Jerry Newcombe calls out leftist attempts to override and rewrite important parts of history in light of a $10 million grant from "left-leaning philanthropist" David M. Rubenstein to overhaul Montpelier, the house of James Madison. The changes, which diminished Madison's role as a key architect of the Constitution in favor of placing racial conflicts and slavery at center stage, were described by one visitor as, "A one hour Critical Race Theory experience disguised as a tour." Newcombe discusses why this is a great disservice to the legacy of Madison, writing, "Americans need to learn the true history of our rich past. Yes, America has a checkered past with slavery and segregation. But so does the rest of the entire world—and the principles of founders like Madison
were on the forefront of ending these evils ... We will not move toward a positive future if we distort our past, as the woke mobs now do." Read more. |
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Imagine that you’ve been assaulted and no one, not the police, not your friends, and not even your family believe you. Would you continue to insist that you were telling the truth, or would the weight of disbelief cause you to say, "Nothing happened. I made it up". On second thought, don’t answer yet. I’ll ask you again after you hear Marie’s story.
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Our book this week is Unbelievable by award winning authors T. Christian Miller and Ken Armstrong. Netflix released a very well received limited series based on the book. Human rights attorney Bryan Stevenson, author of Just Mercy, which I featured in the very first episode of The Unlovely Truth, had this to say about the book: "This is a devastating but necessary read, composed by masters of investigative journalism." I agree. It’s one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. It does contain material about rape, so please use your best judgement about whether to listen or recommend this episode. For everyone who does listen, this case has a lot of crazy twists and turns, so hold on tight. Listen Now |
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Leaders representing more than 80 religious and conservative groups have sent a letter to U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in an attempt to convince Republicans to vote against the "Respect for Marriage Act" that would codify a right to same-sex marriage into federal law. Signatories include representatives from Alliance Defending Freedom, the Heritage Foundation, Family Research Council, and the American Principles Project. The Respect for Marriage Act
already passed the Democrat-controlled House in a 267-157 vote last week, which included the support of 47 Republicans. At least five Senate Republicans have signaled they will probably or definitely support the Respect for Marriage Act, while just eight appear likely or certain to vote against it. With the legislation requiring 60 votes to pass, five more Republicans are needed, assuming that all 50 Senate Democrats support the bill. Read more. |
Also of Interest...
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Worship leader Kari Jobe is gearing up to head on tour with Elevation Worship for their summer tour and said this season has served as a reminder that maintaining one's focus on God is key. In an earlier interview with The Christian Post, Jobe shared her excitement for the tour and discussed how worship "changes the atmosphere, and in a time where it seems that people are being really influenced by opinions and other atmospheres, worship reminds us of the power and the presence of God, and the hope and healing we find in His presence." Read more. |
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Kingdom Story Company has acquired the rights to Eric Blehm’s New York Times bestselling book, Fearless: The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam Brown, per The Hollywood Reporter. The book follows the true story of Seal Team 6 commando Adam Brown, a Navy soldier who overcame struggles, including drug addiction and jail time, to reach the top tier of the U.S. military. He eventually became a member of the Navy Seal team best known for killing Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. A man of faith, Brown died in battle in March 2010 while on a mission in Afghanistan, saving the lives of several others in the process. Jason Hall, who earned an Oscar nomination for penning "American Sniper," is set to write the film's screenplay.
Read more. |
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Thank you for spending part of your day with us. We look forward to seeing you again on Monday! -- CP Editors
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