Alabama High Court Rules Frozen Embryos Are ‘Children’ Protected by State Law

The Alabama Supreme Court has ruled that frozen embryos are children subject to protection under state law.  The 8-1 ruling was in response to a lawsuit filed by three in-vitro fertilization (IVF) couples whose embryos were destroyed in 2020. The high court’s ruling, which was released last week, reversed a lower court’s ruling that had dismissed the complaint.

The state’s “Wrongful Death of a Minor Act” applies to unborn children, and the justices ruled that the law applies regardless of whether they are in the mother’s body at the time. The high court wrote in its decision: “The ordinary meaning of ‘child’ includes children who have not yet been born.”

“Here, the text of the Wrongful Death of a Minor Act is sweeping and unqualified.  It applies to all children, born and unborn, without limitation.  It is not the role of this Court to craft a new limitation based on our own view of what is or is not wise public policy,” Justice Jay Mitchell wrote in the opinion on behalf of the majority.  “That is especially true where, as here, the People of this State have adopted a Constitutional amendment directly aimed at stopping courts from excluding ‘unborn life’ from legal protection,” Mitchell continued.

In a separate concurrence, Alabama Chief Justice Tom Parker wrote: “A good judge follows the Constitution instead of policy, except when the Constitution itself commands the judge to follow a certain policy.  In these cases, that means upholding the sanctity of unborn life, including unborn life that exists outside the womb.”  “Our state Constitution contains the following declaration of public policy: ‘This state acknowledges, declares, and affirms that it is the public policy of this state to recognize and support the sanctity of unborn life and the rights of unborn children, including the right to life,” Parker continued.

Justice Greg Cook, the only dissenting justice, argued in his opinion that the ruling could end IVF treatment in Alabama and that it was not the court’s place to amend the current 1872 state law.  “And, the main opinion’s holding almost certainly ends the creation of frozen embryos through in vitro fertilization (‘IVF’) in Alabama,” Cook wrote.  “It is not my role to judge whether ending this medical procedure is good or bad – but it doubtless will have a huge impact on many Alabamians.  And it underscores the need to have the Legislature – not this Court – address these issues through the legislative process.”

But Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver praised the Alabama high court’s ruling.  “Every unborn life is a human being.  Every human life begins as an embryo, and now the Alabama Supreme Court has upheld the decision of its citizenry that every unborn life should be protected, no matter their stage or location,” Staver said in a statement.  “This important ruling has far-reaching implications.”

Using the Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling as precedent, Liberty Counsel announced it had filed a supplemental authority with the Florida Supreme Court regarding a proposed abortion amendment to Florida’s Constitution.  Currently, the Florida Constitution protects the rights of a “natural person.”  During oral arguments on Feb. 7, Florida Chief Justice Carlos Muñiz asked attorneys on both sides of the abortion issue if the ballot summary should apprise voters of how the proposed abortion amendment could impact the Constitution if its definition of “natural person” also included the unborn, according to Liberty Counsel.

The nonprofit law firm said it is using the Alabama high court’s latest ruling to argue that Florida’s Constitution, like Alabama’s, affirms “that an unborn child qualifies as a human life, a human being, and a person.”  Replying to Chief Justice Muñiz’s question, Liberty Counsel argues Florida’s deceptive amendment proposal as written misleads voters by not explaining how it will take away a protected right to life for the unborn.  Staver said his law firm will argue Florida’s proposed amendment, as currently written, defies current Florida laws protecting the unborn.  “Liberty Counsel is using this precedent to argue that Florida’s proposed deceptive and misleading abortion amendment violates Florida’s own laws that routinely recognize that an ‘unborn child’ has the legally protected rights of a person,” Staver said.  He added, “Unborn life must be protected at every stage.”

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

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

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Church Sues Ohio City Officials in Case of Pastor Facing Criminal Charges for Helping Homeless

A Christian church in Bryan, OH has sued the city and several city officials for trying to shut down the church’s religious activities.  Its pastor is reportedly facing criminal charges for violating zoning laws by keeping his doors open to help the poor and others in his community.

A coupe weeks ago, First Liberty Institute and the law firms Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP and Spengler Nathanson PLL filed the federal lawsuit and motion for a temporary restraining order against city officials seeking to shut down the religious activities of Dad’s Place Church and Pastor Chris Avell.  The 82-page complaint filed in the U.S. District Court Northern District of Ohio alleges the “targeted” use of zoning codes and other city ordinances against the church violates the church’s rights “under the Free Exercise Clause and Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (“RLUIPA”), the Fair Housing Act (“FHA”), and the Rights of Conscience clause of the Ohio Constitution.”

“The Church accordingly seeks equitable relief and damages to prevent the City from violating its fundamental rights to pursue its religious outreach to some of the most vulnerable members of its community,” the complaint said.  “The ministry of the church is not confined to Sunday morning at 11am,” Pastor Avell said.  “We welcome anyone to experience the love and truth of Jesus, regardless of the time of day.”

City officials returned to Dad’s Place for a follow-up reinspection and issued additional citations after the Fire Marshall found a gas leak while the church was housing 20 people, according to a statement issued by the city.  The city said the church had to bring the building up to code or it “will take appropriate action.”

The city said it became aware that Dad’s Place was allowing individuals to live, on a transient basis on the church property.  But the property is located in a C-3 zoning district, allowing churches and other places of assembly to operate as a conditional use. It does not permit residential use on the first floor of any building in the district, the statement said.  The city also noted it had been accused of failing to support the homeless, even though a homeless shelter that fully complies with the zoning code and fire code operates next to Dad’s Place.

Bryan’s mayor should be supporting the church’s efforts, Senior Counsel for First Liberty Jeremy Dys said in a statement.  “Mayor Schlade spearheaded months of harassment by Bryan, Ohio city officials to repeatedly violate the constitutional and statutory rights of Dad’s Place Church and its pastor, Chris Avell,” Dys said.  “Instead of prosecuting a pastor in an effort to drive his congregation from her sight, Mayor Schlade should be supporting a church trying to care for the marginalized in her community (and in the dead of winter).  The Constitution and the law demand nothing less.”

Stephen Hartman of Spengler Nathanson said, “We hope the city of Bryan will drop all of these charges and begin talking with us about how Pastor Chris and Dad’s Place will continue to contribute to the wonderful community of Bryan.”

Philip Williamson of Taft Stettinius & Hollister noted how “churches throughout history have been a shelter for anyone seeking a place of safety, and Dad’s Place is no exception.”  “Ohio and federal law alike protect vital ministries like Dad’s Place, and we look forward to defending those rights,” he said.

As CBN’s Faithwire reported earlier, Avell is facing 18 criminal charges related to the city’s zoning laws after keeping his church open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

In March 2023, Dad’s Place began operating its ministry 24 hours a day to serve the most vulnerable in its community.  For months, the church did so without incident, First Liberty said. Then in November 2023, the city sent a letter ordering the church to stop allowing overnight guests or face criminal prosecution.  On New Year’s Eve, police showed up at the church, and handed the pastor a packet of multiple charges and violations.

Avell told CBN Digital why his church decided last year to open its doors around the clock. “Through some things God had done and what we were seeing, we decided that … it was time to do it so that people can come in day or night and find true rest,” he said. “{And} come in and pray at any time of day.”

Avell said the church had been receiving calls from police in the middle of the night to ask if the house of worship would take in people facing domestic disputes and other issues.  This is one of the reasons Dad’s Place decided to expand its operations. However, authorities began taking issue with purported zoning violations last fall, with the Bryan City Zoning Commission reportedly expressing concern just months after that decision.

Since the church doesn’t have bedrooms, the zoning commission said the house of worship could no longer house the homeless.  Avell said, though, that he’s tried to work with the city to remedy any concerns.  Regardless, he said the results of Dad’s Place being open 24/7 have been deeply encouraging.  “We’ve seen many who — if we were not open 24 hours, this wouldn’t happen — come to faith in Christ,” the preacher said. “We’re a church, so that’s our thing … for us, that’s paramount.”

Avell said he believes people’s lives have been enriched, adding that “everyone who walks through the doors of the church walks out a better citizen.”  “You can’t walk in the place and not experience the love of Christ, even if you just walk through the doors for a few minutes,” he said.  “It’s just what we’re called to be … the hands and feet of Jesus.”

First Liberty attorney Ryan Gardner told CBN Digital the city’s actions against Avell and Dad’s Place constitute a “head-scratcher.”  “The police were referring people to Dad’s Place and everything was OK until it wasn’t,” the lawyer said.  “And what happened is, in November, they got a letter saying that they had to shut their doors and had to put these people with nowhere else to go on the streets.”  Gardner said the ministry serves the “most needy and hurting” and explained that the 18 criminal charges waged against Avell — who continues to keep the church open and defy authorities — is “highly unusual.”  “I’ve never seen anything like this,” he said.  “I’ve seen cities come after churches in the civil context when it comes to zoning issues, but to try to hold a pastor criminally liable and even put him in jail for simply caring for the homeless.”  Gardner believes each charge could carry as much as six months in jail on top of a fine.

As for why the police reportedly went from referring people to Dad’s Place to suddenly demanding it stop its activities, Gardner said he’s uncertain.  “It seems to me that somebody in the city is hostile to this ministry and doesn’t want it there,” he said.  “The First Amendment protects the right of Dad’s Place to operate its ministry wherever God has called us to do so, and in this case, God has called Dad’s Place to operate exactly where it is.”

Avell has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges against him.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

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

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Ex-Terrorist Confirms Visions of Jesus in Gaza

A former Palestinian sniper turned Christian believes revival will break out in Gaza and thousands will come to Christ after the end of the Israel-Hamas war.

Taysir “Tass” Abu Saada, a former aide to the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, recently told CBN News’ Global Lane that God’s Holy Spirit is already changing Palestinian hearts through dreams and visions.  “Many Muslims are looking for an alternative to Islam,” he said. “My team is, naturally, sharing Christ.  So we are looking at a good revival going on already in the Gaza Strip.”

Since Hamas terrorists carried out the savage massacre of hundreds of Israeli civilians on Oct. 7, marking the start of the Israel-Hamas War, many Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip have been caught in the cross-hairs.  Evidence has shown how Hamas has prevented evacuations of Palestinian civilians, keeping them in harm’s way and even using them as civilian shields against Israeli attacks that are only intended to target terrorists.  As a result, the Hamas-run government of Gaza claims more than 24,000 people have been killed there since the war began, and thousands more are injured or presumed dead.

But Saada believes good can come out of the destruction and pain.  “Despite the destruction that is taking place, I believe God has a purpose to get the Palestinians in Gaza (to) wake up and look at a different alternative to what they believe,” he explained.  

Saada said he believes hearts are turning to Jesus and confirmed a report late last year that hundreds of Gazans encountered Jesus in their sleep.  “I have a report from one of my team members that 200 Gazans gave their heart to Jesus in one lump sum,” Saada expressed. “The Lord appeared to them in visions and dreams and they were hugging each other and rejoicing.  [They] realized all of them had the same vision that each one of them had.”  “Obviously, the Lord is doing His work and the Believers in the land are doing their work,” he added.

As CBN Digital reported, born in Gaza, Saada was overcome with rage toward Jewish Israelis in the aftermath of the Six-Day War in 1967.  His family moved to Saudi Arabia and Qatar and, ultimately, he ran away to join Fatah and fight to support Arafat.  “After the Six Day War, I felt as if I was having a nervous breakdown, and my hatred just grew and grew,” Saada said in his testimony, published on JewishRoots.net.  “I did not understand how we could lose so many wars against Israel.  We were bigger than Israel in numbers and size, we had more equipment—everything we had was more than they had, but still, we lost the wars against them.”  “I was thinking that, once again, our leaders sold us to the Jews,” he added.  “That was when I decided to go and fight for our land, which I believed was ours.”

This founder of the Hope of Peace Foundation eventually emigrated to the U.S. where he met his wife, Karen.  Soon afterward, he met a Christian man and learned about Jesus.  That is when his life and entire perspective on Israel changed.  He recently moved to the Holy Land in hopes of seeing more Gazans come to Christ.  “God is going to do a lot of work [in Gaza], and I want to be a part of that,” Saada said.

Saada previously told Joel Rosenberg on The Rosenberg Report that he believes we are in the “End Times.”  “What we are seeing today happening is really one of the signs of the end of times, because it is not normal—the destruction that is taking place,” he said. “The evil hand of Hamas is attacking Israelis in a radical, very evil way.  Naturally, Israel had to respond and defend itself.”

Although four Arab nations and Turkey have offered to assist in planning the reconstruction and governance of Gaza once Israel ends its war with Hamas, Saada boldly proclaimed that God has another future for the Gazans.  “The harvest is going to be huge,” he said.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

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

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

The Disinformation on Divorce

For years, an urban legend has survived because it has been accepted as fact by many people – the myth that half of all marriages end in divorce.  So, if you’re getting married for the first time, the odds are even, right?  0/50?  No.  Nope.  Nada.  It’s what would be called “disinformation” by some today.  And the myth about a 50 percent divorce rate in the church is an even bigger lie.

One Christian author and social researcher Shaunti Feldhahn says the true divorce rate is much lower and always has been.  She has extensively researched the public perception of the 50% myth about divorce, trying to find its original source.  And to her pleasant surprise, she couldn’t find any.  She confessed to K-LOVE Radio that she had believed the myth too. “When I started looking at the Census Bureau tables and CDC tables, and the Bureau of Vital Statistics – that’s when I was like – ‘wait a minute this does not match the narrative at all,’ ” Feldhahn explained.

She didn’t just spend one afternoon in the local library looking into the subject.  Her quest took her the next eight years, according to K-LOVE.  “The reason it took eight years is that it is insanely complicated,” she admits.  “There’s no one right number.”  Why?  “Because it kind of depends: like, is the rate of divorce the percentage of people who will get divorced in the future?  Or is it the people who already are?”

Feldhahn then took all of her research findings and organized them into her book The Good News About Marriage: Debunking Discouraging Myths about Marriage and Divorce.   “Seventy-one percent of people are still married to their first spouse,” she told the Christian radio network, which leaves 29%, but “that’s not the true story either. Because that includes everybody who was married for 50 years and their spouse died.”

When one factors in the death of a spouse, Feldhahn told K-LOVE she’s confident that the true divorce rate is currently no greater than 25%.  “At one time, a 50% divorce rate in the future was actually a reasonable projection,” she said.  

No-fault divorce entered the U.S. courts in 1972, which led to an explosion of divorces. Demographers of the day got really concerned and said, ‘Oh my goodness if this trend keeps up, we’re going to hit a 50% divorce rate someday.’ ”  “But just a few short years later, in 1980, the divorce rate began to trend down,” Feldman explained.  “We never got close to hitting the 50% projection…and that is what has not been corrected in the public opinion.”

In fact, far more people get married over the course of each year than get divorced, according to statistics compiled by Forbes.  The latest data available from 2021 revealed a total of 689,308 divorces occurred across the 45 U.S. states that report this statistic. During that same year, 1,985,072 marriages occurred, making the U.S. marriage rate 6 per 1,000 people, the outlet reported.

Feldhahn told K-LOVE there’s one statistic that stood out to her – the age of the couple getting married.  “People are getting married at slightly older ages – and when you get married very young, those people have a higher divorce rate risk,” she noted.  The risk of divorce drops for couples who marry after age 25.  Those who marry at 25 are 50% less likely to divorce when compared to couples who tied the knot at 20.

Feldhahn also shined a light on the divorce rate among those who have remarried following a divorce or the death of a spouse.  She said, most people think the percentage is high, possibly two out of three remarriages.  She called that statistic yet another “pure urban myth.”  “My senior researcher, Tally Whitehead, and I spent three years trying to find the studies underneath that number,” she told the outlet.  “We were very thorough – we went through all the different citations and news reports and websites – and they all trace back to three sources that don’t exist.”

Feldhahn’s book also reveals the divorce rate among those active in their church is 27 to 50 percent lower than among non-churchgoers.  She told CBN News in a December 2022 interview that her hope is that once people learn the truth they will spread it far and wide.  “We need to change the paradigm of how we talk about marriage – from marriage being in trouble and all this discouraging stuff to saying, ‘No, wait.  Most marriages are strong and happy for a lifetime,’ " she told CBN News.  “That makes a total difference to a couple who can now say, ‘You know what?  Most people get through this and we can, too.’ ”

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

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

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Iowa Pro-Lifers Celebrate Planned Parenthood Abortion Center Closing

The largest Planned Parenthood abortion clinic in Iowa’s capital city closed its doors to the joy of pro-lifers who have long worked and prayed that the death mill end its baby-killing industry.  In a statement to LifeSiteNews after the pro-life victory, Maggie DeWitte, executive director of Pulse Life Advocates (PLA), founded in 1972 and now one of the longest standing pro-life organizations in Iowa, celebrated the closure and called for renewed efforts to end all abortions in the state.  DeWitte said: “We are overjoyed at the closing of the Planned Parenthood clinic on the southside of Des Moines.  Pulse Life Advocates, Iowa’s longest-standing, statewide, pro-life organization, has organized hundreds of prayer vigils at this clinic over the years since its founding in 1972.  We know the power of prayer and so many Iowans have lifted up thousands of prayers for the closure of this clinic.  Women will no longer be harmed and babies will no longer be killed at this location and we are thanking and praising God for this victory!  But while we celebrate this win, we look to the other abortion mills operating in Iowa and will turn our efforts toward getting those closed as well.  And we will continue to pray, educate, and take action until we no longer have abortion in our state and in our country.”

PLA told LifeNews that “the closing represents a culmination of years of prayers by faithful pro-lifers at this very location.”  “If you were one of the faithful who joined us, you know how the North wind that swept down upon us was particularly cruel, seemingly taunting us as we prayed.  And the hot summer months presented a different form of discomfort.  But it was all worth it!  God listened and answered our prayers with this closing,” PLA said.

While rejoicing at the closure of Des Moines’s largest abortion mill, DeWitte also lamented the rise in the use of the mail-in abortion pill, which now accounts for the majority of abortions nationwide.  DeWitte told LifeSite that the background to current state of affairs regarding Iowa’s abortion laws and allowances are the fights the legislature and governor have fought in the courts against Planned Parenthood over the State’s now twice passed Heartbeat law.  She wrote:

“The 20-week abortion ban was passed in Iowa in 2017 and had a 72-hour waiting period component to the law.  While the 20-week abortion ban sailed into law with no hold-up, the 72-hour ruling was immediately contested by Planned Parenthood and the ACLU.  They filed a lawsuit and sought an injunction so that the 72-hour waiting period would not go into effect until the court process had gone through the necessary actions.  We then move(d) forward to the next legislative session in which we pass(ed) the first in the nation Heartbeat law. The Governor signed this historic bill into law that May.  Shortly thereafter, the court finally made their ruling on the 72-hour waiting period.  As suspected, the court ruled the law unconstitutional and that it was an undue burden for women. But they went a step further in creating law.  They determined that we had a fundamental right to abortion in our Iowa Constitution.  They legislated from the bench and created law.  In this ruling, the Iowa Supreme Court effectively took the role of creating law out of the hands of our duly elected legislators and took it upon themselves to determine the law of the land in the great state of Iowa. Unelected judges created law with one stroke of the pen.  Because of this ruling, the heartbeat law never went into effect.”

Polk County District Judge Hubbert ruled on the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade that because of the 72-hour ruling, the Heartbeat bill was ruled unconstitutional.

In June 2022, just days before the U.S. Supreme Court handed down the Dobbs decision reversing Roe v. Wade, the Iowa Supreme Court reversed its own course and struck down its previous ruling that abortion was a “fundamental right” protected by the state constitution.  The reversal came upon the request of the pro-life legislature, which also passed a law requiring a 24-hour waiting period before obtaining an abortion.

The Dobbs decision also prompted Gov. Kim Reynolds to renew efforts to lift the injunction against the Heartbeat law, which failed at the Iowa Supreme Court in June 2023.

Last summer, a new Heartbeat bill was passed by the Iowa legislature in a special session called by Reynolds.  Planned Parenthood, not unexpectedly, filed a lawsuit challenging the law, and oral arguments are set to be heard in March, with a ruling to be issued this June.

In 2023, Reynolds vowed to not rest until every child in the Hawkeye State was protected. “The overturning of Roe v. Wade last year was just the beginning,” she said. “And since then, we’ve seen some in our movement concede ground to abortion extremists.  Not in Iowa and not on my watch.  I will always be front and center in this fight.  I will not rest until Iowa’s courts allow the will of the people to finally take effect, until every unborn child has the chance to experience the greatest gift that our Lord endowed upon us: life.”

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

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

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Abortion Proponents Claim 64,000 Babies Conceived in Rape

A pro-life researcher has questioned the accuracy of a study that claims more than 64,000 pregnancies resulted from rape in states that have banned abortion— in most cases following the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade.  

The reversal of Roe restored regulatory authority over abortion to the states, and following the high court’s June 2022 ruling, pro-life laws went into effect in 14 states. Nine of these states that enacted abortion bans did not include exceptions for rape or incest.

According to a study published a few weeks ago in the academic journal JAMA Internal Medicine, between July 1, 2022, and Jan. 1, 2024, over 500,000 rapes occurred in states with strong pro-life laws, resulting in 64,565 babies conceived in rape.  “Of these, an estimated 5,586 rape-related pregnancies (9%) occurred in states with rape exceptions, and 58,979 (91%) in states with no exception, with 26,313 (45%) in Texas,” the study claimed.  The authors behind the study included Samuel Dickman, the medical director for Planned Parenthood of Montana, and Kari White, the executive and scientific director of Resound Research for Reproductive Health.

In an analysis of the study published in the National Review, Michael New, senior associate scholar at the pro-life Charlotte Lozier Institute, asserted that there are significant issues with the authors’ methodology.  “To call those figures an exaggeration would be an understatement.  The article is frankly one of the worst and most misleading pieces of advocacy research that I have ever encountered in my years as social scientist,” New wrote. “Furthermore, the fact that this article appeared in a prestigious peer-reviewed journal grants it legitimacy and credibility that it absolutely does not deserve.”  The pro-life researcher noted that the study claimed 12.5% of rapes resulted in conception, which he singled out as an “exceptionally high figure.”  New cited a survey of over 4,000 women published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology in 1996 that estimated the national rape-related pregnancy rate is 5% per rape victim.  The reproductive ages of the victims associated with this figure ranged from 12 to 45. “Furthermore, the 5 percent figure cited in this 1996 journal article is probably high because several survey respondents reported being raped more than once,” New added.

Another issue with the study, according to the pro-life researcher, is that the authors used data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention’s 2016–17 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Sur- vey.  The CDC survey found that over 1.4 million women were the victims of a completed forcible rape during a 12-month period. “That is over four times higher than the estimates provided by the Department of Justice’s National Crime Victimization Survey and over 10 times higher than FBI data on the number of rapes reported to law enforcement,” New said about the finding. “Furthermore, the CDC data have been criticized for significantly overestimating the incidence of rape,” the pro-life researcher continued. “Fair-minded researchers would have at least acknowledged these disparities. However, the authors of the JAMA Internal Medicine article simply assume that the much higher CDC estimates are the most accurate.”

In 2014, a Time magazine article highlighted some of the concerns with the CDC’s rape numbers, such as the wording of the questions, which might have created a “false positive” that led people to answer in the affirmative.  The CDC asked respondents “how many” people had used force or threats to make them engage in a sexual act instead of asking “whether anyone” had done so, according to the report.  “This wording removes the extra hurdle of admitting that such a violation has happened, and thus encourages more reporting,” Time magazine reported.  

In addition to the issues with the CDC’s numbers, New pointed out that, based on the assessment made by the study’s authors, there would have been 178,000 children conceived in rape in 2017.  According to the pro-life researcher, this would mean that 10% of all abortions were conducted on rape victims.  “However, multiple Guttmacher surveys find that only 1% of women seeking abortions cite being a rape victim as a reason for obtaining an abortion.  This clearly shows how exaggerated these estimates really are,” New stated, citing data from the pro-choice research organization.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

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

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Dad Convicted for Praying at Abortion Facility

A “peaceful” pro-life father of 11 who was prosecuted by President Joe Biden’s Department of Justice (DOJ) for praying and singing hymns in the hallway of a Tennessee abortion facility was found guilty last week by a federal jury in Nashville.

Paul Vaughn is one of five pro-lifers who were charged with felonies for allegedly violating the unconstitutional Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act and engaging in a “conspiracy against rights.”  Following the verdict, he joined his fellow defendants in singing hymns outside of the Fred D. Thompson federal courthouse.

Vaughn’s attorney at the Thomas More Society signaled they would appeal the case in the 6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.  If that appeal fails, Vaughn could face up to 11 years in prison at his sentencing hearing on July 2 and up to $260,000 in fines.  “This is a frustrating setback, for Paul, for his family, and for the extended pro-life community, which has rallied support for Paul from the day of his arrest in front of his wife and children by heavily armed FBI agents, on through the trial,” Thomas More Society Senior Counsel Steve Crampton said in a statement, noting that the Biden Administration’s aim from the beginning of this case was to “punish Paul and other pro-life people and people of faith.”  Crampton warned the DOJ’s “pattern of arresting and prosecuting peaceful pro-life advocates is disturbing,” and indicated that its case hinged on the unfair characterization of Vaughn as an aggressor instead of a peaceful protester.

Footage of the so-called crime shows a group of pro-life activists peacefully singing, reading scripture, and praying in the hallway outside of a Mt. Juliet, Tennessee abortion facility in March 2021.  Vaughn was never arrested during the protest.  Witness testimony from a police negotiator even suggested the defendant was “helpful, collaborative, and peaceful,” according to the lawyers presenting his case.  It wasn’t until Oct. 5, 2022, that the DOJ unsealed charges accusing Vaughn and his fellow protesters of using “force and physical obstruction to injure, intimidate and interfere with employees of the clinic and a patient who was seeking reproductive health services.”  

During a jarring FBI raid on the Vaughn home later that month, shortly after the Biden Administration began its legal assault on pro-lifers following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson decision in June 2022, Vaughn says he was escorted away in cuffs. The defense repeatedly noted that Vaughn’s Mt. Juliet protest did not result in injury or property damage, but that did not stop Biden’s DOJ from twisting evidence to deceptively portray him in a bad light.  DOJ attorneys claimed abortion facility employees were “trapped inside the building during the incident,” even though video evidence of the event exists that the defense says “showed traffic clearly passing down the hallway to and from the abortion venue.”  The DOJ also turned one of the protesters who was initially arrested against Vaughn and used her testimony as further proof that he helped hamper the abortion facility’s operations.  

Eight in 10 Americans do not have a “great deal of confidence” in the Biden DOJ to do its job well and fairly.  Maybe that’s because perfectly peaceful protesters face prison simply because they hold different political views than the administration while the White House’s violent allies who wreak havoc on people and property alike walk free.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

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

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Federal Jury Blows up Biden’s Persecution of Pro-Life Americans

In September of 2022, the FBI raided the home of a man named Mark Houck with guns drawn in front of his children.  The show of force left onlookers confused.  Was Houck a drug kingpin?  Did he murder someone?  Had he committed fraud at the highest levels? The answer to all those questions is no.  Rather, Houck’s grave crime was shoving a Planned Parenthood “escort” who threatened his son.

The federal government raided a man’s home at gunpoint for shoving someone in what was arguably a self-defense situation.  Things didn’t stop there, though.  Federal prosecutors continued to push the case, charging Houck under the ridiculous and unconstitutional FACE Act, putting up to 11 years in prison on the table.

Fortunately, a federal jury has told the Biden Administration and its Department of Justice (DOJ) where it can shove its persecution of pro-life Americans.  

The Biden Administration has been carrying out a crusade against pro-lifers since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and this is hopefully the first of many losses. There was never any justification to charge Houck with a federal crime, especially since the state charges were dropped. This was a political persecution meant to discourage pro-life Americans from speaking out to defend the lives of babies in the womb.  How disgusting and depraved does someone have to be to want to throw a man in jail for 11 years for defending his son from a pro-abortion fanatic?  And how disgusting and depraved does someone have to be to be a person who “escorts” people to kill their children?  These are sick people, and the fight is only going to get more intense from here.

For the moment, though, a victory has been won, and it’s an important one.  Had the precedent been set in this case that the government can imprison you for peacefully protesting a hundred yards away from an abortion clinic, who knows how many more convictions would have followed?  As it is, the DOJ has been left floundering, having wasted time and money in an attempt to abuse federal law to push progressive ideology on abortion. That failure is well-deserved.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

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

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

 

Unity Before God

REPRINT OF FEBRUARY 27, 2023

The one true God is the God of unity.  He makes peace between the nations, tears down barriers, and uplifts the oppressed.

We find a testament to this awesome power in Ephesians 2:14, when, describing the distinction between the Jews and Gentiles, the author says, “For [Jesus Himself] is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.”

One can only hope that one day the peace that Christ extended to gentiles could also be extended to all the world, not only in terms of violence but also in terms of social separation.  A prime example of that is the advancement we have seen toward racial equality within the United States.

We are now in Black History Month— celebrating the advancement of a historically marginalized group.  As part of a push toward a more Christ-like world in which arbitrary distinctions on the basis of skin color will be abolished, it is a perfect time for Americans to acknowledge the contribution of Black Americans to the history of our great nation.

Though Black History is sometimes relegated to the African-American Studies part of the academic catalog, this fails to acknowledge the significance of Black Americans in shaping and re-shaping our nation.

For example, did you know that Harry Hoosier (variously recorded as “Hosier,” “Hosher,” and “Hossier”), an influential Black preacher who died in 1806, may be the person from whom Indiana gets its nickname “the Hoosier state?”  A lawmaker in Indiana recently tried to emphasize this history with the introduction of legislation which, “along with amending the Indiana Code to designate the official nickname for the state, House Bill 1143 recognizes Harry Hoosier as the namesake.”

Similarly, did you also know that as early as 1868, South Carolina had the first majority Black legislature?  The image that was distributed of this post-reconstruction legislature is described in the archives of Princeton University as the result of “the Reconstruction Act of 1867— which redesigned the governing bodies of the southern states after the American Civil War.  Not only did African Americans have the right to vote, but they also serve within the government.  When South Carolina rejoined the Union in 1868, they had the first state legislature with a black majority.”

What these anecdotes teach us is that, instead of solely concentrating on the oppression of Black Americans as a problem to be solved, it is also important to acknowledge and highlight the triumphs and contributions of Black Americans despite incredible odds.

It serves as a reminder that goodwill ultimately triumph over evil.  That, one day, God will make all things right with the world.

As we are reminded in Romans 8:38-39: “I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

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

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

OFFENSIVE WAYS

REPRINT OF FEBRUARY 10, 2023

Christians, we will be offended in this world!  There really is no getting around it.  We live, think, and believe in ways counter to our culture.  Therefore, others are going to not like us— even hate us for who we are.  Our ”woke” generation perceives a completely different world of normal.

Definitions of words have been reversed.  The result is that we all offend each other without realizing what we said that offended.  Listen to this definition by Jim Morgan of what we face:

“ ‘Woke’ is awaking from a supposed sleep induced by parents, preachers, youth group leaders, America’s founders, and anyone else with the audacity to tell people how to live their lives.  Once ‘enlightened’ to their true identity and nature, liberated from the arcane idea that mankind is sinful and needs a Savior, society begins its regression into the division, dependence, decadence, and decline that eventually demands a (secular) savior.  The social decay precipitated by shifting trust and truth from God to self, sets the stage for submission to the authorities and structures inevitably needed to salvage the sinking ship.”

When confronting the “woke” philosophy we have a couple of problems.  First, how do we deal with the offensive action or statement leveled against us (that a Biblical worldview is oppressive)?  Secondly, how do we refrain from being equally offensive in our responses, if at all possible?

Proverbs 17:9 says, “He who covers an offense promotes love…”  Perhaps another way of thinking would be to decide ahead of time not to let an offense affect you emotionally. Let it go, give it to the Lord to deal with. When in an honest conversation, even a debate, stick with truth and facts rather than innuendos and all the gray areas of thought.  Know the subject well that you are discussing or simply state that you are not prepared to discuss it at this time. Barging ahead can often lead to all the unintended offensive remarks that shut down the conversation.  Realize ahead of time that those who are opposed to Christianity will re-define the very concepts of Christianity and turn them against us.  When this happens ask for them to further define what they are meaning and accusing us of.  Then freely defend the Biblical perspectives of each.  Help them understand they are not arguing with you, but with God— with His Holy Word.  “A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense” (Proverbs 19:11).

Be open in your own short fallings in order to expose your sinfulness (Romans 3:23). We are not claiming to be perfect in ourselves, but only as we are redeemed in Christ. Eternal life is not something we made up for convenience sake, but it is a gift we accepted from God (Romans 6:23)— available to everyone (Romans 10:9-13).  Though we are indeed engaged in spiritual warfare, we do not need to utilize the same weapons as our enemies use.  See yourself, not as a soldier needing to kill and destroy.  Picture yourself, instead, as God’s vessel of love and grace seeking to save that which is lost (Luke 19:10).

Do not prepare with man’s weapons for war, but with God’s (Ephesians 6:11-18). Prepare, study, memorize, and pray that the Holy Spirit will bring to your remembrance all that you will need (John 14:26).

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

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

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

POWER

REPRINT OF FEBRUARY 1, 2023

What gives people feelings of power?

For some it is money.

For a few more it is status.

For many more it is being the Line Leader in Kindergarten.

Kind of humorous?  Yes.  Yet there is probably some real truth in it.  Ask any teacher of young children.  But the discussion should not end there.  In fact, this simply sets the stage for the really important things relating to power.

Plato stated things this way: “The measure of a man is what he does with power.”

Power always brings with it responsibility and therefore the need of utilizing that power in godly ways and for God glorifying results.  What do God glorifying results look like?  Job 36:22, “God is exulted in His power.  Who is a teacher like Him?”  So, God glorifying may very well have the result of teaching others what God is like.  

Proverbs 3:27, “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it.”  Incidentally, the word ‘deserve,’ does not only indicate having earned something.  When you perceive that someone deserves it, for whatever reason, give to that person what God has blessed you to give. When someone is ailing (physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually) be free with your gifts of healing.  God will direct you in giving good words, praise, providing a way, sharing your testimony, extolling reward or simply to give a good hug and to cry with them.  

Remember that His power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Consider what powers God has entrusted to you that you are able to use as you bless others and glorify the Father.  Be watchful and ready to use them in His wisdom— not human wisdom— “… lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power” ( 1 Corinthians 1:17).  “Guard what (and perhaps who) has been entrusted to your care.  Turn away from godless chatter …” (1Timothy 6:20).  As you adopt this way of life and this perspective of the use of power, you will be perceived by those around you as having been, “… clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49), simply because you have learned the power in giving and loving in Jesus’ name.

We are engaged in some fierce battles these days.  Spiritual battles, political battles, relational battles, and battles of the mind.  Satan seeks to divide and separate at every opportunity. Fight the good fight.  Be fearless in the battle before you.  Be skilled in the use of your weapons (Ephesians 6:11).  Bring healing to this world and to the individuals in your life (Luke 9:1).  Continue to testify to the resurrection of Jesus Christ and much grace will be upon you (Acts 4:33).

“And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light” (Colossians 1:10-12).

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

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

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

A New Day Dawning

REPRINT OF FEBRUARY 14, 2022

It seems everyone loves a beautiful sunset or sunrise.  We constantly see posts on social media of the latest, greatest, most beautiful examples.  They are complete with all the appropriate colors— yellows, oranges, reds, violets, and deep burgundies.  At evening times, they bring restful and relaxing emotions.  At dawn, they awaken freshness and the excitement of a new day with all its possibilities.  We need that feeling every day, God’s new day, His gift to us to share with our world and for His glory.

We are in desperate need of some new dawns for our world today.  Satan’s machine of evil, worldliness, and godlessness has clouded over and hidden God’s wonderful love for us. Many people do not see it anymore.  Neither do they hear it from those who know God personally, but have given up sharing.  Why?  Maybe it’s fatigue or fear of repercussions.  Whatever the cause, the fact remains that many of God’s people no longer share Him openly.  Especially, men.

Where are God’s mighty men who stand up to speak, who sit and teach, who walk forward to lead the way?  Do we need to get back to solid training and practice in the use of the armor that God has provided?  Is your church providing the opportunities for these?  Have you put out the call for leaders and other men of valor to join together and begin groups for this purpose?  With trained leaders, your church can sponsor groups to study God’s Holy Word together verse by verse.  Discover together the possibilities. Feed your men the meat of God’s Word and watch them grow.  As your men brainstorm ideas to reach out to more men, do not be overly afraid of letting them try new things. Even a misstep can be a wonderful learning experience to grow from.

The world is doing its best to “sissify” men in general and eliminate Christian men in particular. It is time to stand up to the tiger, to stand against the wiles of the Devil, to believe God can. Our men need to be re-fit with God’s armor: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the footwear of readiness, the shield of peace, and prayer (Ephesians 6:10-18).  Then we can stand against the devil’s schemes and bring Christ to this lost and dying world.

2 Samuel 3-5 reads, “The God of Israel spoke,…‘When one rules over men in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, he is like the light of morning, like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth.  Is not my house right with God?  Has He not made with me an everlasting covenant?’”

David had his “mighty men” (2 Samuel 23:8-12).  Do you have yours?  Have you begun their deliberate and specific training?  Have they been issued their armor and begun the training in its use?  Are they, along with you, ready for battle?

Pray that the young and old alike will step forward.  Remember Caleb, “I am today, eighty-five years old!  I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then.  Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day” (Joshua 14:10-12).

Christian men, let us give our world, our churches, our families a new day dawning!

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

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

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel