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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.

What you should know about no-fault divorce

Fifty years ago this summer, California implemented the first no-fault divorce statute in the nation. Here are five facts you should know about the policy that changed marriage in America.

This Week at the ERLC

The ERLC initiative, Stand For Life, conducted an online campaign this week to raise money for ultrasound machines.

Chelsea Patterson Sobolik writes at Providence about China’s human rights violations.

What You Need to Know

The list of things we have to address with our children in a fallen world is disheartening. No one wants to have to talk about the hard realities of life, but we have to if we are going to protect our children. One of those topics is sexual abuse. Casey and Hannah Hough give parents some direction for this difficult conversation. Read their important article here.

Conversations are not the end-all-be-all measures to prevent the wickedness of sexual abuse. Evil people will continue to do evil things in this world until Christ returns to make everything sad become untrue. Until then, we weep over the brokenness and do our best to prepare and protect the vulnerable while being “wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matt. 10:16).

There are myriad things parents want for their children. Is learning to love the vulnerable at the top of your list? Jessica Burke says this is one of the most important lessons we can instill in our children. Read her stirring reminder here.

As we begin to leave behind the lazy days of summer and adjust to our fall schedules, we need to make sure that our families have the margin for developing relationships with people outside of our neighborhoods, cultures, and immediate peer groups. As we consider what activities will fill in our calendars, we need to remember that more than any activity, relationships will change us.

Ministry isn’t just for the professionals. It’s for every Christian. Jenn Kintner gives a list of reasons why we so often discount ourselves and urges us to take advantage of the opportunities before us. If you need that extra push of encouragment, check out her article here.

Whether you feel ready or qualified, if there’s an opportunity to minister, take it. It won’t serve the people looking up to you to protest, “I’m not an older woman!” There’s plenty of work to be done and too few to do it (Matt. 9:36-38). Don’t sideline yourself. Instead, invest in the Kingdom and the growth of others.

News From Capitol Hill

This week, the administration exempted U.S. tariffs on Bibles printed in Chinafrom the list of Chinese imports scheduled to be subject to additional tariffs in the coming weeks. The ERLC policy team advocated for this throughout the summer.

The news came on Tuesday morning as the United States Trade Representative (USTR) released next steps regarding the ongoing trade issues. Bibles are identified by the 10-digit HTS subheading 4901.99.0040, which was excluded from both of the USTR lists.

As trade tensions escalated between the U.S. and Chinese governments, the USTR proposed tariffs on a wide variety of imports that included Bibles among other printed products such as textbooks, children’s books, dictionaries, and encyclopedias. The ERLC and LifeWay Christian Resources collaborated in raising our concerns with administration officials and submitting public comments to USTR.

Upon learning of the confirmation of the tariff exemption, Russell Moore commented:

“Whatever one thinks about trade policy, the Bible should never have been a subject of this sort of taxation. As Christians, we believe the Bible is the Word of God, and is thus central to our lives and mission. With as many Bibles as are printed in China, the news that they will not be subject to such tariffs is welcomed news for LifeWay and other publishers of God’s holy Word. Even still, it is concerning that trade books and educational materials—also vital to the lives of Christians and churches—are still subject to a tariff. My hope is that this too will be addressed promptly.”

In addition, Ben Mandrell, president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, commented:

"For the past several months, there has been great concern among the Christian publishing community that our important work would be threatened by proposed tariff schedules. Today's announcement by the U.S. Trade Representative has given us hope that the administration has heard our concern. Nevertheless, I am troubled that the Word of God would ever be taken hostage in an international trade dispute. These past months have strengthened our resolve to get Bibles to the people who need them. Our mandate is built on obedience to Christ, regardless of any policy proposal from Washington, D.C."

Due to longstanding supply chain issues, more than 75% of Bibles are printed in China. China has been specializing for decades in the printing technology needed for thin Bible paper and is home to the world’s largest Bible-printing company, printing at least 150 million Bibles in 2016. Because such a large percentage of Bibles are printed in China, the proposed tariff would have devastated the importation of Bibles into the U.S. and other parts of the world where American ministries distribute God’s Word.

While the Southern Baptist ministries were encouraged at this new development for the distribution of Bibles, the ERLC will continue to advocate for the USTR to eliminate tariffs for trade books. To impose tariffs on such educational, scientific, and cultural materials would be a departure from longstanding U.S. policy committed to facilitating the flow of information and knowledge.

Featured Podcasts

With Congress in August recess, Capitol Conversations takes a break from its usual policy-focused conversations to bring you interviews with leaders the hosts admire and who are shaping the world of Christian political engagement. This week, Jeff Pickering sits down with ERLC President Russell Moore to talk about his faith, family, and friendships along the journey from Mississippi to Washington. Listen in here.

From The Public Square

Sex Ratios in the Pews: Is There Really a Deficit of Men in American Churches
Lyman Stone, Institute For Family Studies

The dearth of men in church is considerably less severe, and considerably less mysterious, than it is made out to be.

Labor Department Proposes Religious Exemption Clarification For Government Contractors
Howard Friedman, Religion Clause

Executive Order 11246 requires that all federal government contracts contain a provision barring the contractor from discriminating against employees on various grounds, including religion.

Planned Parenthood To Keep Performing Abortions Even If It Costs Them Millions In Taxpayer Funds
Madeline Osburn, The Federalist

Planned Parenthood says it will withdraw from the Department of Health and Human Services’s Title X program, which sends taxpayer money to give birth control to poorer Americans, unless a federal court rules on their behalf.

Christian Women’s Shelter Doesn’t Need to Admit Trans Woman, Court Rules
Kevin Daley, The Daily Signal

An Anchorage civil rights panel cannot enforce an anti-discrimination ordinance against a battered women’s shelter that refused to admit a trans woman, a federal court in Alaska ruled.