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: The debate over the removal of historic monuments

What just happened?

Recent protests centered around racial injustice and the killing of African Americans, like George Floyd and many others, have led to a renewed debate over the meaning and significance of historical monuments. Over the past three weeks, over 100 monuments across the United States have been torn down or scheduled for removal.

Which monuments are involved?

The removal efforts fall into two broad categories. The first category includes the use of legal and legislative means of removing statuary, and has focused primarily on Civil War-era figures (such as Confederate generals and the Emancipation Statue in Washington, D.C.) and Christopher Columbus (19 memorials to the Italian explorer have been removed so far).
The second category includes the vandalism or use of illegal means to remove memorials, often done spontaneously as part of protests. The targets of these efforts have been more haphazard and include anti-slavery activists, feminist iconography, and Christian missionaries.

This Week at the ERLC

What You Need to Read

What we’ve been seeing is the hand of God moving despite the backdrop of evil and brokenness. I’m having conversations with many who’ve never had to confront the realities of the harsh systems their black and brown brothers and sisters have had to endure. Hearing from those around me, we’re using this moment in history to educate and then walk through beautiful discipleship conversations in our homes and with our families.

As frustrating and trying as it can be to love and serve and stay consistent for someone who does not understand—nor can she return—any of those things; who makes the same poor decisions again and again; seeing Sarah as a woman created in the image of God demands from us the kind of love we cannot manufacture on our own. It’s steadfast and unconditional, with no guarantees about when or if it will ever produce any fruit.

As we look back and celebrate the countless opportunities afforded women since Title IX came into effect, we should pray that the same opportunities will be given to future generations. And as we watch our daughters and sons train and compete, we should rejoice at the beauty of God’s design for creation and seek to teach our children that they are intended, loved, and created to point to the One whose image they bear.

News From Capitol Hill

This week, the White House issued an executive order aimed at improving America’s child welfare system by seeking to strengthen foster care and adoption programs. The order outlines three objectives: improving partnerships, resources, and oversight.

The impetus behind this order is the belief that every child deserves a family, and states and communities have both a legal obligation, and the privilege, to care for our nation’s most vulnerable children. Assistant Secretary Lynn Johnson said of the executive order:

“These strong actions support vulnerable children and youth nationwide by advancing measures to reduce child abuse and neglect, encouraging family preservation, and strengthening adoption and other forms of permanency for America’s kids.”

Executive orders work in our system of government as administrative policy directives. This order seeks to bolster the current foster system through community action and education by increasing the resources available to children, families, and caregivers, while also increasing transparency within and surrounding the current system in order to facilitate a stronger legal structure for children and their families, both biological and adoptive. For more on this new policy directive of the Trump Administration and why it matters, see our new explainer.

In other news in Washington, Supreme Court advocates like the ERLC began the week anticipating decisions in a variety of significant cases on religious liberty, abortion, and more. Yet, continuing their theme of surprises, the justices only issued 2 decisions—one on Monday and one on Thursday. This leaves 13 cases outstanding with only Monday and Tuesday of next week left on their calendar to release decisions. The ERLC will be watching. To learn more about the five cases the ERLC engaged this term, four of which should be ruled on next week, check out this article.

Featured Podcasts

On this episode of The Russell Moore Podcast, we continue our journey through Genesis by looking at the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4:1-17. In this dark passage of Scripture, there are hints of grace and mercy. We are reminded that the God who punishes Cain in just judgment is also the God who offers a temporary suspension of doom to Cain in exile. This is a shadow of the future judgement and grace offered to all of us in the person of Christ and the gospel. Listen here.

Stuart Hall and his wife Kellee were, like many of us in early March, wondering what the future held as the coronavirus spread across the globe and our country shutdown. Stuart would soon contract COVID-19 and battle the novel disease for weeks in the ICU. They join Jeff Pickering on the Capitol Conversations podcast. The Hall’s story is one of relentless faith and a growing courage as they walked through an unimaginably dark valley. They came out on the other side thanks to a heroic team of doctors and nurses and the love and prayers of their church community. Listen here.

From The Public Square

Can the Church Save Marriage?
Mark Regnerus, Christianity Today

Matrimony rates are in decline, even among conservative Christians. Here’s what that means for the future.

With 'hundreds' of Christians killed in Nigeria in June, USCIRF urges Nigerian government to intervene
Diana Chandler, Baptist Press

Citing the murder of "hundreds" of Christians in Nigeria in June by a Boko Haram faction, U.S. religious freedom advocates urged the Nigerian government to intervene to protect religious freedom there.

Tennessee lawmakers pass fetal heartbeat abortion bill backed by governor
Veronica Stracqualursi and Caroline Kelly, CNN

Tennessee lawmakers have passed a bill backed by the state's Republican governor that would ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected. Early Friday morning, the Tennessee Senate approved the bill, 23-5, after the House had passed the legislation earlier, 68-17. Republicans control both chambers.

African American leaders call for Southern Baptists to stand together in unity
Tess Schoonhoven, Baptist Press

Calling the racial unrest roiling the nation "spiritual warfare," and saying "unless hearts change, nothing will change in America," Philadelphia pastor K. Marshall Williams urged Southern Baptists to stand together in unity against injustice.