United Way Fund$ Planned ‘Murderhood’

2ndVote, the conservative watchdog for corporate activism, released (August 23, 2018 – Nashville, TN) its annual findings on United Way’s financial support for Planned Parenthood (PP).

“Every year, 2ndVote takes an extensive look at United Way affiliates that help fund the world’s largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood,” said Executive Director Robert Kuykendall.  “Our research is designed to give conservatives and pro-life activists a resource to make sure their charitable donations won’t be used to support Planned Parenthood’s abortion business.”

2018’s update to the ‘Pro-Life Guide to United Way’ marks the fourth year 2ndVote has tracked 1,200 United Way affiliates.  Analysis of the most recent IRS Form 990 filings and other documentation found 62 United Way affiliates sent $2,756,799 to PP organizations in tax year 2016.  2ndVote’s latest findings indicate an increase of $168,806 from the $2,590,994 United Way funneled to PP in 2015.

“According to Planned Parenthood, an abortion can cost up to $950.  This means United Way dollars essentially paid for the equivalent of at least 2,901 Planned Parenthood abortions over the course of a single year,” continued Kuykendall.

2ndVote’s research found United Way affiliates in 29-states with financial ties to PP. Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, and Florida are the top 5-states for United Way support for the abortion giant.

“Year after year, we find United Way’s greatest financial support for Planned Parenthood occurs in so-called battleground states.  Given Planned Parenthood’s political presence in these states, it is especially concerning that United Way would be a top donor and financial conduit in these areas,” Kuykendall said.

However, 2ndVote’s investigation has uncovered some good news for pro-life conservatives.  The 62 United Way organizations that contribute to PP represent the lowest number for a single year since the project started.

Kuykendall concluded, “Planned Parenthood is being exposed for what it is: an abortion business and a left-wing political operation.  We believe that our research is giving conservatives and pro-life activists a resource to hold organizations like United Way accountable.  Using our donated dollars as leverage is a great way to get non-profits to stop supporting Planned Parenthood’s abortion agenda.”

The research for this update was conducted using the most recent Form 990 filings of United Way affiliates.  At the time of publication, updated 990s for 3 of the previous donors to Planned Parenthood were not yet available.

I’ve often said, don’t contribute to the United Way; rather, give directly to the causes you believe in.  It’s better stewardship of your resources, and better honors God who has granted your ability to earn a living.

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

2ndVote is the conservative watchdog for corporate activism.  2ndVote conducts extensive research on the policy positions taken by companies and non-profits through direct advocacy and financial support.  Follow 2ndVote on Twitter @2ndvote and on Facebook at facebook.com/2ndvote.

Evicted for a Bible Study in a Senior Community?

A retired pastor wants to do a Bible study with his neighbors at a senior living community. The trouble is the community has told him he can’t do that and has reportedly threatened to evict him if he does.

Ken Hauge was conducting a Bible study in the common area of Evergreens at Smith Run in Fredericksburg, VA, until Community Realty Company (the owners of the establishment), instituted a policy “banning religious services or other religious activities” in the community room.  Hauge then moved the Bible study into his apartment.

“The apartment complex has threatened to evict an elderly resident because he was leading a Bible study,” says attorney Lea Patterson of First Liberty (FL).  “The letter that they sent to him basically told him that he could not lead a Bible study either in the common area or in his own apartment.”

FL has since mailed a demand letter to Community Realty Company, parent company of the Evergreens at Smith Run.  “Basically our letter asks them to do the right thing and stop,” Patterson explains.  “The primary law on point is the Federal Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of religion, among other things. And more specifically, just to give an example, the Department of Justice’s webpage on religious discrimination lists a few examples of what can constitute unlawful discrimination in housing under the Fair Housing Act, and one of the examples the DOJ gives is basically refusing to allow a Bible study in a common area when other events are allowed in common areas.”

FL’s letter also demands the eviction notice be rescinded and Hauge’s religious liberty be restored.  If the demands are not met, “we’ll be definitely looking at options,” Patterson asserts.  “We understand the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development may be interested if this goes further, [but] hopefully it won’t, and everyone goes home happy.”

According to the eviction letter given to Hauge, the Bible study amounts to business activity, which the senior living community says is a violation of the lease agreement.

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

More Muslims Testifying to Dreams From God

In the midst of so much fake news, here is a fact: God is at work in many Muslim nations, bringing those lost in the religion of Islam to a saving knowledge of Himself in many miraculous ways.

Many are familiar with a report about Muslims coming to Christ and that God is using dreams and visions to prepare them, but the stories all seem to be second and third-hand, and it is difficult for many to know if the accounts are true or not.  Ben and Jenny (missionaries in a Muslim nation) know that the stories are true.

It is a dangerous job to report on these accounts of Muslims coming to Christ, so Ben and Jenny do not name the country or give their last names, but they told American Family Radio’s (AFR) Today’s Issues that the Scripture, Joel 2:28, is coming true – right before their very eyes.  “We seek to share the Gospel three to five times on a weekly basis, and most of those times are people [who] have never heard the Gospel,” Ben explained.  “They’ve heard of Jesus from the Koran, but they have vast misconceptions of who Jesus Christ is.”

One of the people they shared Christ with was a friend of a friend.  “She’s like, it’s really crazy listening to you tell me about your church, because a couple weeks ago – this was before I even met her – she had a dream about me and my husband,” Jenny shared the woman’s story.  “[And] she said you invited me to your church, and I came and your husband was preaching and I left with a Bible and she was even describing what Ben looked like.”

Jenny also said that she is not surprised that God would use dreams and visions with Muslims to prepare hearts for His Gospel.  “For them and their culture, dreams mean something, [and] they have books where you can interpret the dreams and the meanings,” Jenny added.  “And so, for her to have a dream, it really meant something to her.  So, I was able to give her several Bibles before we left.”

Ben is also pleased about the warm reception to God’s Word.  “And several people from that family are now reading the Scriptures and asking questions, so we’re super excited,” Ben noted.

Hearing about Muslims describing dreams and visions is nothing new or uncommon in the West, as many Muslims have come to Jesus Christ after having dreams, according to the Gospel Coalition.  In addition, Tom Doyle, in his book, Dreams and Visions: Is Jesus Awakening the Muslim World?, talks about many similar stories of Muslims being given dreams by God.

Praise God for the truth of our Living Lord making His presence known in the lives all people!

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Protection for Faith-Based Gov’t Contractors From LGBT Discrimination

The Trump Administration has issued a directive to protect the rights of faith-based federal contractors who have religious objections to same-sex marriage and homosexuality.

Last week, the Department of Labor’s (DoL) Office of Federal Contractor Compliance Programs (OFCCP) issued the directive to “incorporate recent developments in the law regarding religion-exercising organizations and individuals.”  Specifically, the directive cites three recent U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) rulings and executive orders on religious freedom issued by President Trump.

DoL suggests that while discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity are still not permitted under Executive Order 11246 (as amended by former President Barack Obama in 2014), the 1st Amendment rights of companies and individuals who have religious objections to homosexuality will be protected.  “Section 202 of EO 11246 does not apply to ‘a [g]overnment contractor or subcontractor that is a religious corporation, association, educational institution, or society, with respect to the employment of individuals of a particular religion to perform work connected with the carrying on by such corporation, association, educational institution, or society of its activities,’” the directive states.

The directive cites recent court decisions that have “addressed the broad freedoms and anti-discrimination protections that must be afforded religious-exercising organizations and individuals.”  Among the cases cited is the SCOTUS’s ruling this June in favor of Christian baker Jack Phillips, who was punished by the Colorado state government for refusing to design a cake for a same-sex wedding in 2012.  [Same-sex marriage was illegal in Colorado at that time.]  The directive also cited last year’s SCOTUS ruling in favor of a Missouri church that was denied funding for playground repairs made available through the state government to other child care organizations.  The church was denied the funding simply because it’s a place of worship even though the funding would be used for secular purposes.  Additionally, the directive cited the 2014 SCOTUS decision siding with the crafts store chain Hobby Lobby in its case against the Obamacare contraceptive mandate case.

The new directive lays out instructions for OFCCP staff to follow when enforcing the non-discrimination policy and exemptions.  The directive states that staff “cannot act in a manner that passes judgment upon or presupposes the illegitimacy of religious beliefs and practices.”  Additionally, staff must be “neutral and tolerant” of religious beliefs.  OFCCP staff also cannot “condition the availability of [opportunities] upon a recipient’s willingness to surrender his [or her] religiously impelled status.”  Additionally, faith-based groups must be given a level playing field when competing for government contracts, the directive states.

The directive comes after Trump moved last year to reverse an Obama-era EO that required companies wanting to contract with the federal government to comply with various federal laws and EOs.  Trump did not rescind another Obama order that prohibits contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

The new directive has been applauded by social conservatives.  Among them is Sen. James Lankford (OK-R) who is the co-chair of the Congressional Prayer Caucus and a former Baptist youth leader.  “In America, people and organizations don’t have to check their faith at the door in order to work with or for the federal government,” Lankford said in a statement.  “I applaud today’s changes from the Department of Labor that ensure that faith-based organizations are welcome partners with the government to serve the American people.”

Mat Staver, President of the conservative religious freedom law group Liberty Counsel, said in a statement that “people of faith should not have to set aside their sincerely held religious beliefs to appease others.”  “I commend the Trump administration and the Department of Labor for taking a strong stand in this new policy directive to protect the religious freedom of individuals and organizations under federal law and the U.S. Constitution,” Staver said.

The new directive, however, is staunchly opposed by LGBT activist groups that claim it opens the door for federal contractors to discriminate against LGBT people in their hiring policies.  “The directives coming out of the Department of Labor today represent the latest move by the Trump-Pence administration to turn the notion of religious liberty into a weapon of discrimination,” Sharon Mc-Gowan, chief strategy officer for the LGBT legal group Lambda Legal, told Bloomberg Law.  “The notion that the OFCCP needs to re-examine how it is enforcing non-discrimination mandates against federal contractors is a ‘solution’ in search of a problem.”

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

The Repeal of Tax Law Forcing Churches to Pay Tax on Employee Benefits

Congressional Bills have been introduced in both the U.S. House and Senate that would repeal a provision in the country’s new tax law that makes churches and other non-profits vulnerable to having to pay new taxes.

Sen. James Lankford (OK-R) and Sen. Ted Cruz (TX-R) last week introduced separate bills designed to eliminate new tax burdens that many churches and non-profits have been concerned about since the passing of the Republican-backed tax law last year.

Lankford’s bill, which was introduced in the House by Rep. Mark Walker (NC-R) is called the Lessening Impediments from Taxes for Charities Act.  The legislation would repeal the provision that requires some tax-exempt organizations to pay federal taxes on employee fringe benefits such as parking, meals and transportation for the first time.  The provision requires churches that have never had to fill out an IRS Form 990 to begin filing the form.  “Tax reform was designed to simplify tax filing, not make it more complicated or burdensome,” Lankford said in a statement.  “By definition, tax-exempt organizations do not typically file tax returns.  But, a glitch in last year’s tax reform bill would become a huge burden to churches, charities, and non-profit organizations.”  “Most churches and non-profits in Oklahoma, especially in rural locations, are not equipped to handle major tax code changes,” he added.  “Non-profit, tax-exempt entities are designed to better our communities and our nation.”  A representative from Lankford’s office told Christian Post that they are hopeful that the bill will receive a vote on the floor of the Senate, but added that no date for a vote has been set.

Cruz introduced the Protect Charities and Houses of Worship Act.  “Last year, Congress passed historic tax cuts which are expanding opportunity and allowing hardworking men and women to keep more of their hard-earned money in their pockets,” Cruz said in a statement.  “While millions of middle-class Americans have seen significant tax relief, charities, churches, and other tax-exempt organizations have been required to pay federal taxes on employee fringe benefits.  My bill would repeal this requirement, and allow these charitable organizations to allocate funds and donations for their intended purpose of helping people, rather than for paying taxes to the federal government.”

A review of the two bills shows that the Cruz bill repeals paragraphs six and seven of Section 512 of the IRS Code, while the Lankford/Walker bill only specifically repeals paragraph seven.

Paragraph six creates the special tax reporting rule for unrelated business taxable income and paragraph seven goes into detailing what constitutes unrelated business taxable that is “disallowed fringe,” such as parking and transportation.  Paragraph seven has the specific language that states that “unrelated business taxable income of an organization shall be increased by any amount for which a deduction is not allowable.”  Repealing paragraph seven could render the threat from paragraph six moot because the rule as explained in paragraph seven won’t be imposed.

House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady (TX-R) has defended the provision to tax fringe benefits, saying that it is a matter of fairness.  “It is about treating a non-profit hospital the same as you treat a for-profit hospital,” Brady was quoted as saying recently. “We think the parity issue, the fairness issue is right.”

The non-profit accrediting agency Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) has spoken out against the provision and has told lawmakers that the provision is “flawed to its core.”  “The very purpose of tax exemption for non-profit organizations is not to have their charitable, religious, and educational activities on the same footing as taxable businesses because of their important work and the inherent challenges associated with raising money to support such work,” a July 11 ECFA letter to members of Congress states.  “Furthermore, the federal income tax on unrelated business income is intended to apply to income generated from unrelated commercial activities conducted by tax-exempt organizations.  Providing parking to employees does not constitute generating income from an unrelated commercial activity and there is no sound policy basis for applying a tax intended for commercial activity to the essential element of parking by employees of tax-exempt organizations.”

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

University of Iowa Expels 38-Religious Student Groups Off Campus

InterVarsity (IV) campus ministry is suing the University of Iowa (UI) after the school kicked it and several other religious groups off campus over what has been deemed as discriminatory leadership policies.

IV Graduate Student Fellowship recently filed a federal lawsuit against the UI after the club was de-recognized as an official campus student group last month because of its policy requiring that all group leaders be Christian and sign a statement of faith.

IV is not alone.  The university also expelled 37 other student groups that upheld similar requirements last month, including: the Chinese Student Christian Fellowship, Young Life, the Latter-day Saint Student Association, the Imam Mahdi Organization, and the Sikh Awareness Club.

IV, which has been on the campus for over 2-decades, has a history of being welcoming to all students.  But IV requires those who want to lead the group to comply and uphold the Christian faith.

Throughout the spring semester of last year, the UI administration pressured student groups to change their leadership policies so that they are in compliance with the university’s human rights and discrimination policy.  IV told UI that it wanted to have policies that reflect the importance of Christian leadership.

According to the lawsuit, the UI administration warned that it could not allow the group to have “a restriction on leadership related to religious beliefs,” and that the group could not encourage its leaders to agree with the IV statement of faith.  After IV and the other groups refused to change their policies, the UI formally moved in July to derecognize those groups. 

“We’re grateful to have been part of the university community for 25 years, and we think that the university has been a richer place for having Sikh, Muslim, Mormon, Catholic, Jewish, atheist, and Christian groups,” Kristina Schrock, student president of IV Graduate Christian Fellowship, said in a statement.  “Because we love our school, we hope it reconsiders and lets religious groups continue to authentically reflect their religious roots.”

IV is being represented by the Washington-based religious freedom law firm Becket.  In a statement, Becket attorney Daniel Blomberg asserted that booting religious groups off campus for requiring leaders to uphold the faith is not the way any university will “foster an intellectually diverse environment.”  “Universities should allow students the space to form their own groups that challenge and grow their sincere beliefs,” Blomberg said.  “Banning religious groups from having religious leaders just flattens diversity and impoverishes the campus.”

The UI’s decision to derecognize the 38 student groups comes after a federal judge ruled earlier this year that the university unfairly enforced its human rights discrimination policy when it expelled the student group Business Leaders in Christ (BLinC) from campus last year while other groups were not subject to similar enforcement.  A federal court gave BLinC a temporary injunction to have its banishment lifted through the spring semester.  In June, a federal judge rejected the university’s request to again de-recognize the group because it still hadn’t applied the policy fairly.  Because the court order blocks the school from deregistering BLinC, BLinC is now the only university-affiliated student group that remains out of compliance with the university policy.

“There is pending litigation involving BLinC, and the federal district court has ordered the university to maintain BLinC’s registration status until the conclusion of the litigation,” university spokesperson Anne Bassett told The Gazette.  A jury trial is scheduled for March 2019 in the BLinC case.

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Coach Punished for Praying Appeals to SCOTUS

An assistant football coach – punished for praying after games – is asking the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) to hear his First Amendment case.

First Liberty Institute (FLI) filed a lawsuit on behalf of Joe Kennedy in 2015 after he was suspended – then fired – by the Bremerton School District for kneeling and praying after football games.  A federal district court dismissed the lawsuit and an appeal was turned down by a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit.  A review by the full court was refused.  Kennedy’s case rallied the public to his side … because he claims he did not lead a team prayer or join in prayer as a coach; but a lengthy warning letter from the superintendent claimed he was doing so and was violating school policy.

A response letter from FLI defended Kennedy’s right to prayer on the 50-yard line after ballgames, arguing that he did so privately and it was obvious to anyone watching that he allowed others to join him but did not lead the team in a prayer.

Last week, FLI and law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP are asking the SCOTUS to hear the case.  So is legendary college football coach Bobby Bowden.  “We’re obviously very honored to have Coach Bowden’s support on this case,” says FLI attorney Mike Berry.  “In addition to Coach Bowden, we’re very honored to have quite a few other very high-profile friend-of-the-court briefs filed, including members of Congress led by Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas) and James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, and a number of state attorneys general join.”

Support has also come from the Texas High School Coaches Association, representing 21,000 football coaches, which filed a brief in support of Coach Kennedy.  “It’ll be a while before we hear anything,” says Barry, “but that said, we are optimistic and hopeful that the Court will see the importance of this case, what it means for religious liberty across the country, really.”

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Possible Court Martial for USA Chaplain Because of His Beliefs

A decorated U.S. Army chaplain at Fort Bragg (North Carolina) could face a possible court martial … and even military prison … after he explained to a soldier he could not conduct a marriage retreat that included same-sex couples because of his religious beliefs, his attorneys allege.

An Army investigator under the command of Major General Kurt Sonntag recommended that Chaplain Scott Squires be found guilty of “dereliction of duty” for taking three business days to reschedule the “Strong Bonds” marriage retreat he was prohibited from facilitating.

Squires, who was officially accused of discrimination, is endorsed by the Southern Baptist Convention’s North American Mission Board (SB-NAMB).  According to SB-NAMB policy, chaplains are prohibited from conducting “Strong Bonds” events for same-sex couples. The policy clearly states “endorsed chaplains will not conduct or attend a wedding ceremony for any same-sex couple, bless such a union or perform counseling in support of such a union ... nor offer any kind of relationship training or retreat, on or off a military installation.”

When Squires realized he could not participate in the “Strong Bonds” event, he rescheduled the conference to accommodate a lesbian couple with a chaplain who could oversee the retreat.  However, the same-sex couple chose not to attend.  Had Squires participated in the marriage retreat he would have risked losing his endorsement by the SB-NAMB.  The Army acknowledges its chaplains must adhere to their endorsers’ rules and religious tenets.

“I simply did what I’m required to do under Army regulations and my endorser’s rules,” Chaplain Squires said.  “I am shocked that I would even be investigated, let alone threatened with punishment, for following the rules.”

The Army investigator determined that while Chaplain Squires is protected by the “shield of the 1st Amendment from being compelled to act in violation of his religious rules and beliefs”— there are limitations.  “The ‘shield’ that is afforded to CH Squires does not permit CH Squires, or any Soldier, to use the ‘shield’ as a ‘sword’ to cut off the rights of another,” the investigator determined.

The investigator noted that the soldier’s sexual orientation is a protected status that is prohibited from being used to preclude her from benefits, such as Army programs, to which she is otherwise entitled. 

The investigator’s findings and recommendations clearly violate the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act.  That policy states in part “no member of the Armed Forces may require a chaplain to perform any rite, ritual or ceremony that is contrary to the conscience, moral principles or religious beliefs of the chaplain.”

“The United States Army, acting under the command of Major General Sonntag, is threatening to punish one of its chaplains because he followed the rules,” First Liberty Institute (FLI) Mike Berry told Todd Starnes.  “The Army, or Congress, must hold Major General Sonntag accountable for allowing this aggressive anti-religious hostility against its military chaplains to occur under his command.”

FLI, one of the nation’s most prominent religious liberty law firms is representing Squires as well as Chaplain Assistant Kacie Griffin.  Griffin, too, is facing a “dereliction of duty” charge because she did not immediately sign up the same-sex couple for the retreat.  

Berry told Starnes federal law and Army policy both make clear that chaplains must remain faithful to the tenets of their faith.  “Major General Sonntag must immediately reject this investigation, if any chaplain under his command is to have the confidence that he or she will be protected when following military policy,” Berry says.  “No chaplain should face the specter of a court martial and military prison for following the rules of their faith and the Army.”

                                                               

Even more peculiar is the language used by the Army investigator— specifically the use of the words “shield” and “sword.”

In 2015 People For the American Way published an article titled, “Religious Liberty: Shield or Sword.”  And in 2016 the former interim director of the Secular Coalition for America co-authored an article titled, “Religious Liberty is a Shield and Not a Sword.”  “There is a substantial likelihood that (the investigator) manifests an impermissible hostility towards religion— conservative Christianity in particular, perhaps— that has no place in the United States Army,” Berry said.

Even more puzzling is the behavior of the same-sex couple.  If they were so determined to attend the marriage retreat— why didn’t they attend?

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

The Battlefield of School Choice in the Culture War

Conservative families have long been accustomed to funding a public education system that teaches values contrary to their own.  Now, a Florida program that uses public tax credits to support private scholarships for low-income students at parochial schools is under fire because Christian schools are, well, Christian.

Having failed to defeat school-choice programs on the merits, the Left is turning to anti-religious bigotry to attack Florida’s Tax Credit Scholarship Program (FL-TCSP) … which serves more than 100,000 children.

Florida’s initiative, the nation’s largest school-choice program, has faced a sustained assault from the press for the Christian curricula of some of its participating schools.  The Huffington Post created a chart chronicling the “offensive” views that Christian schools teach – creationism to Biblical distinctions between the sexes.  The Orlando Sentinel called what students learn at private schools “hillbilly science” and “a 12-year sentence to some anamorphic Sunday school class from hell.”  

The Left’s anti-school-choice hysteria increasingly echoes Senator (CA-D) Dianne Feinstein’s chiding of Judge Amy Coney Barrett last year: “the dogma lives loudly within you.”

Media attacks on the curricula and values in schools of choice rarely include an examination of the values of taxpayer-funded public schools:

• In 2016, a Palm Beach high school teacher’s final exam included the question, “If Donald Trump becomes President of the United States, we are: A. Screwed, B. Screwed, C. Screwed, or D. Screwed behind a really YUGE wall that Mexico pays for.”  
• Another school took its cheerleading squad and band to perform at a Hillary Clinton political rally as a field trip.  
•  A third Florida school required students to recite “There is no god but Allah; Muhammad is the prophet of God.”  None of these incidents got much play in the Sentinel. 
• In Albuquerque, New Mexico, an elementary school instructed teachers not to refer to students as “boys” and “girls” in order to make transgender students feel more welcome. 
• In California, a teacher was placed on administrative leave for suggesting that if students were allowed to walk out of class without consequence to protest for gun control, they should also be permitted to cut school to oppose abortion.  
• In Vermont, a high school flew a Black Lives Matter flag to celebrate Black History Month.
• And hundreds of public school districts across the country partner with Planned Parenthood to teach a sex-education curriculum that many parents find objectionable.  

Disagreements among parental supporters and critics of the aggressively secular public school curriculum are unlikely to disappear soon.  America is not only an ethnically, religiously, and culturally diverse nation, but also a place where families often disagree on what a good education should look like.  

Those who want to yank scholarships out of the hands of low-income kids because they object to public support for Christian education don’t think twice about forcing deeply religious parents to pay taxes to teach progressive values … even as many of those parents pay double freight for their own children’s private educations.

Any potential solution should follow the model of higher education: Fund the student, not the school.

Public investment in education is vital in a republic, but there’s no reason why taxpayers must bankroll a monolithic agenda.  It’s time to empower parents to take back their role as directors of their children’s educations.  In Florida, the TCSP is doing just that. 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Modern Parable of the Good 'Samaritan' Muslim Imam

A Muslim religious leader is honored for saving close to 300-Christians from Fulani herdsmen who wanted to kill them.

83-year-old Alhaji Abdullahi Abubakar, a Nigerian imam from the village of Nghar in Plateau State, received a national honor from President Muhammadu Buhari for his actions on June 24th.  “I hid the women in my personal house and after that, I took the men into the mosque and hid them there,” Abubakar explains in an article in The Eagle Online.

The Christians, who have been slaughtered in mass this past year in Fulani raids, sought refuge from the armed radicals, who invaded 15-communities on that day.  When the Fulani arrived at Abubakar’s house, however, the imam claimed that the people inside were all Muslims, leading the herdsmen to move their search elsewhere.

BBC News earlier reported that the herdsmen strongly suspected that the Christians had been sheltered by the imam, but still he did not allow them entry, despite fears they might burn down the mosque and his house.

Abubakar even prostrated himself on the floor in front of the radicals, crying and wailing, demanding that they leave.  And while the Fulani did agree to leave, they set two nearby churches on fire.

Simon Lalong, Plateau State governor, said, “Although he is already in his old age, God knows why he did it at that age for us to study and also know how to maintain peace, not only in Plateau State but in Nigeria in general.”  “What he did not only saved the people of Barkin Ladi LGA, not only Plateau State but I think the whole of this country because 300 lives is not a small number,” he added.  “So, Alhaji Abdullahi Abubakar, only God will reward you for what you have done.”

David Young, the deputy chief of mission at the United States Embassy in Nigeria, also hailed the imam’s actions as heroic.  “Those who work for peace do not belong to one group or another, they are not just Muslims or Christians, they are individuals who give up their lives for goodness and fight evil,” Young said.

Some Christian leaders, such as Bosun Emmanuel, the secretary of National Christian Elders Forum, have warned that Christians, who make up close to half of Nigeria’s population, could be wiped out by 2043 … if the widespread massacres continue.  “Realistically speaking, Christianity is on the brink of extinction in Nigeria.  The ascendancy of Sharia ideology in Nigeria rings the death toll for the Nigerian Church,” Emmanuel said.  “In 2018, we can say in 25-years from now, we are facing the risk of being the last Christians in Nigeria.  Therefore, Christians should be in the frontline of defending democracy in Nigeria,” Emmanuel urged.

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Polls Reveal Americans Significantly Agree on Limiting Abortion

In order to properly understand how Americans feel about abortion, one must take into account that their views are more complex than simple up-or-down polls about the U.S. Supreme Court’s (SCOTUS) 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling suggest.

Of late, polls about Americans’ attitudes toward abortion primarily have to do with support for Roe v. Wade itself.  Some suggest that Americans are extremely polarized when it comes to the issue.  Take, for example, 2018 polling that shows Americans are evenly divided in terms of self-identifying as pro-life or pro-choice.  But equating support for abortion rights or dividing Americans into two opposing camps is highly misleading and unhelpful.

Polls that dig a little deeper into Americans’ views when it comes to restrictions on abortion provide more nuance and insight into where the public truly stands.  Polls that do delve more deeply show that support for unfettered abortion, which Roe allowed, just isn’t there.  That SCOTUS ruling legalized abortion throughout all 9-months of pregnancy.  It left to the states, however, regulating abortions during the second and third trimesters. So, Roe was in effect the beginning — not the end — of a national conversation about the legal limits of abortion, especially in the second and third trimesters.

Today’s polls show that Americans generally do not support the right to abortion later in pregnancy.  The Marist Poll asked specifically about later abortions and found Americans heavily favor restrictions during the last two trimesters.  76% of Americans said they would like to see abortion restricted to the first 3-months of pregnancy — and even a majority (60%) of those who self-identify as pro-choice favor such restrictions.  Those numbers have been more or less consistent for the past decade.  So, there is in fact a lot more consensus on abortion than what is generally reported.

A recent Gallup Poll shows consistency in American attitudes towards limits on abortion. 81% of respondents said that abortion should be generally illegal in the third trimester, while 65% said it should generally be illegal in the second trimester.

Polls also reveal how Americans feel about different circumstances surrounding the decision to abort a child.  Broadly speaking, a majority thought the procedure should be legal only under certain circumstances.  The Gallup Poll asked about several specific circumstances ranging from “when the woman’s life is endangered” to “when the woman does not want the child for any reason.”  Gallup found that 77% thought abortion in the third trimester for any reason at all should be illegal.  68% thought abortion should be illegal in the third trimester when the child would be born with Down Syndrome.

American laws are not just out of step with public opinion on the matter, they are out of step with the rest of the world as well.  The United States is just one of seven countries, including China and North Korea, that permit abortion on demand after 20-weeks’ gestation.

If we look closely at polling data that does more than scratch the surface, we can find large majorities in agreement about whether and how to limit abortion.  The vast majority of Americans would like to restrict — at a minimum — late-term, elective abortion.

It seems to me, it’s time our laws catch up to the American consensus.

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Pew Poll Finds People Still See Differences Between Genders

The mainstream media and the liberal academia are certainly blurring the differences between men and women; but most Americans aren’t buying it, according to a recent Pew poll.

The Pew Research Center released a little referenced report on July 24th showing that adults still use traditional words to describe the two genders.  “Protective,” “provider,” “father,” and “honorable” were the positive words used most often to describe men; while “multitasking,” “brain,” “beautiful,” and “maternal” were the positive words used most often to describe women.  “People said traits related to strength and ambition are especially valued for men in society and that compassion, kindness and responsibility are particularly valued for women,” Pew added.

The report was based on data Pew released in 2017 that also found that most adults see key differences between the genders:

• 84% of men and 89% of women said the genders express their feelings differently.
• 69% of men and 67% of women said the genders are basically different in their hobbies and personal interests.
• 76% of men and 75% of women said the genders are different in their physical abilities.

The reports were based on surveys of 4,573 people conducted Aug. 8-21 and Sept. 14-28 of 2017.

You’d never know this if the progressive media and schools of higher learning were your only source of data on the matter.  The truth is, this reputable polling organization has the greater finger on the pulse of the American people’s sentiments.

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Attorney Defending Client Needs His Own Defense

A discrimination complaint in Alaska filed against a women’s shelter took a bizarre turn when a second complaint was filed against the attorney hired to defend the shelter.

The legal stand-off began in January at Downtown Hope Center (DHC), located in Anchorage, when Timothy Coyle was turned away from sheltering at the faith-based facility. He identifies as a transgender woman, named Samantha, and ‘Samantha’ filed a complaint with the Anchorage Equal Rights Commission (AERC).

DHC lawyered up and hired veteran Anchorage attorney Kevin G. Clarkson.  As attorneys are accustomed to do, Clarkson filed a response on behalf of the DHC, defending its actions on the grounds that a shelter for battered, traumatized women shouldn’t be forced to accept a biological male under its roof.

Benjamin Bull, an attorney for First Liberty Institute (FLI), tells OneNewsNow that the discrimination claims became “truly bizarre” when the AERC then filed a complaint about Clarkson after he was quoted in a local newspaper about the legal fight.

Clarkson is now being represented by FLI, which is asking the AERC to drop its complaint against the Anchorage attorney.

The AERC’s executive director, Pamela Basler, wrote that Clarkson has been “identified as the source” of published statements – a newspaper article – in which he claimed in the article that a biological male should not be allowed to be sheltered in the DHC, an Anchorage newspaper reported in June.

According to Bull, the AERC has “tried to basically separate the Hope Center’s lawyer – disqualify him from representing the Hope Center - by filing essentially criminal charges against him for violating the law and in turn trying to censor him.”

Bull tells OneNewsNow that AERC’s legal action raises an obvious legal question: How can an attorney represent a client if there is no allowance to publically defend the client’s action in a newspaper article?

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Judge Rules Against OAG-NY in Pro-Life Case

Christians News reports that a federal judge has ruled in favor of 13 pro-life Christians in a lawsuit filed by the Office of the Attorney General of New York (OAG-NY) claiming that the demonstrators had “harassed” women at an Albany NY abortion provider.

Judge Carol Bagley Amon ruled that former NY Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s office failed to provide evidence that “Christians outside Choices Women’s Medical Center engaged in conduct that would rise to the level of willful harassment.”  She wrote, “The interactions on the sidewalk outside Choices were generally quite short, and there is no credible evidence that any protester disregarded repeated requests to be left alone over an extended period or changed his or her tone or message in response to requests to be left alone in a way that suggested an intent to harass, annoy, or alarm.”  “The OAG-NY has failed to show that any defendant had the intent to harass, annoy, or alarm a patient, companion, or escort; thus, it has failed to show that any defendant has violated NYCCAA [the New York City Clinic Access Act], as interpreted by the OAG,” Bagley Amon added.

However, Judge Bagley Amon did rule that one protester engaged in illegal behavior by blocking the entryway to the facility.  “As long as a protestor does not blockade a clinic entrance or exit, he or she is free to stand or pace with a sign unless and until he or she interferes with another person’s passage to or from the facility,” Amon said.  “The OAG-NY argues that most of the defendants in this case have physically obstructed patient, companion, and escort access to Choices.  A careful review of the video, photo, and testimonial evidence presented at the preliminary injunction hearing and reveals that only B. George illegally obstructed access to Choices,” she added.

Schneidermann alleged that the pro-lifer demonstrators engaged in a pattern of harassment for repeatedly using signs, making statements such as “You have the blood of dead babies on your hands” and “They are killing babies above your heads,” as well as passing out pamphlets and literature.

According to Christian News, the demonstrators are members of local churches.  One pastor and defendant in the case stated his thanks to God for the ruling.  “We thank the Lord that our life-affirming work to counsel women considering abortion was upheld in federal court,” Kenneth Griepp, senior pastor at Church @ The Rock told media.  “As Christians who seek to honor Jesus, like Him, we will continue to offer compassion to those who see abortion as the only way out of an unexpected pregnancy.  We said from the beginning that the charges against us were baseless and an offense to the First Amendment.  We are grateful for the court’s thoughtful and detailed opinion that vindicates our rights.”

Praise God for this good judgment from this judge!

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel