Gov’t Claims the 1st Amendment Only Protects Your Right to Choose a Religion

Well, here’s a new twist on the 1st Amendment!  The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit heard oral arguments in a case filed by Ms. Mary Anne Sause – a Catholic former nurse – who was ordered by Louisburg, Kansas police officers to stop praying in her own home.

Background:

In the fall of 2016, Ms. Sause was threatened to arrest over a simple noise complaint.  She was home late at night when the police came to her home.  When they knocked at the door, they did not identify themselves as police, and with her front door’s ‘peephole’ inoperative, she did not open the door.  They returned later and identified themselves as police, then demanded to be let in to her apartment.  As they berated her for not letting them in the first time, they refused to give a specific reason why they were there … as is required.  When she showed them a copy of the Constitution and Bill of Rights given to her by her congressman, one of the officers mockingly said, “That’s nothing, it’s just a piece of paper — [it] doesn’t work here.”  The officers continued to act in a belligerent manner toward Sause, telling the terrified woman she should prepare to go to jail.  She asked if she could pray beforehand, and while one of the officers granted her request, the other told her she could not pray in her own home.

First Liberty Institute (FLI), a national religious freedom law firm, took up Ms. Sause’s case and sued, but the district court threw out the complaint entirely – denying Sause her day in court.  Her attorneys have appealed to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver — ironically, the court to which Supreme Court nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch has been appointed — in an effort to have the case remanded back to the lower court with instructions to hear the case.

As part of the motions filed before the hearing, the attorneys representing the police made an audacious claim last December: “The act of stopping [Sause]’s prayer did not burden her free exercise of religion” … because only conduct that forces her to change her religious practices or causes her to stop praying altogether would violate the Constitution.

In last week’s court briefings, government attorneys defended the police officers’ actions by arguing that the 1st Amendment’s ‘free exercise clause’ only “protects an individual’s right to choose a religion.”

FLI attorneys say the government’s argument could set a dangerous precedent for how the 1st Amendment protects religious freedom.  “The free exercise clause protects an individual’s right to do exactly that — to freely exercise his or her faith,” says Stephanie Taub, Senior Counsel for FLI.  “The government’s attempt to redefine the First Amendment through this case could set a dangerous precedent for religious freedom.”

FLI asserts the free exercise clause’s protection extends beyond the right to choose one’s own religion and includes the right to pray in the privacy of one’s own home … which is a fundamental right clearly protected by the 1st Amendment.  They argue that commanding her to stop praying without a legitimate law-enforcement justification burdens her ability to freely exercise her religion in her own home.

The case, Mary Anne Sause v Timothy J. Bauer, et al., was heard before a three-judge panel of the Tenth Circuit.  Bradley G. Hubbard, Associate with Gibson Dunn, argued the case as co-counsel with FLI. 

“Prayer is essential to my faith and everyday life,” Ms. Sause said following the arguments.  “Not a day goes by when I don’t pray.  It is concerning to see the government claim the First Amendment protects my right to choose my religion, but not my right to pray in the privacy of my own home.”

“The First Amendment guarantees the right for all Americans to freely exercise their faith,” Taub says.  “First Liberty Institute is committed to defending that freedom for every American.”

The 1st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof …”  In other words, as law-abiding citizens of the United States of America we have the right to practice our religion without government interference.

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

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

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Proactive State Laws Protect Religious Liberty

Two states take specific action to protect religious liberty – Kentucky and South Dakota. 

Kentucky

The legislature of the State of Kentucky has passed a bill to protect the right to religious expression in public schools.  The impetus for the bill was due to a censorship issue that occurred around Christmastime.  School officials reportedly censored the scene from the beloved “A Charlie Brown Christmas” in which the character Linus talks about the true meaning of Christmas.  

The school in Johnson County censored the scene from the school’s Christmas production, according to OneNewsNow.com.  “A Charlie Brown Christmas” was created by the late Charles Schultz who reportedly insisted on including the scene in which Linus reads the Christmas story from the Gospel According to St. Luke in the original airing of the film in 1965.

The KY Senate easily passed the religious freedom bill in a 31-3 vote.  The bill also passed the House easily in a 81-8 vote.  It now goes to the desk of Republican Governor Matt Bevin … who is known for his Christian faith.

Some legislators claimed that the religious freedom bill was not necessary since such rights are already protected in the 1st Amendment; but Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) attorney Matt Sharp noted that the recent censorship issue proves that the bill is needed.  “Even though the Supreme Court has repeatedly held that schools can include the Bible and other religious stories and elements as part of the educational process, there was confusion in Kentucky over this play,” Sharp said.  “And so what this law does is reaffirm what the Constitution says.”

South Dakota

South Dakota (SD) Republican Governor Dennis Daugaard recently signed a law preventing faith-based adoption agencies from facing government discrimination for not placing children with same-sex couples. 

The law is Senate Bill 149, sponsored by Senator Alan Solano (District 32 – R), and Representative Steven Haugaard (District 10 – R).  “No child-placement agency may be required to provide any service that conflicts with, or provide any service under circumstances that conflict with any sincerely-held religious belief or moral conviction of the child-placement agency,” says the bill.  These beliefs “shall be contained in a written policy, statement of faith, or other document adhered to by a child-placement agency.”  The law continues, “The state may not discriminate or take any adverse action against a child-placement agency or an organization seeking to become a child-placement agency” … because of its sincerely-held religious or moral beliefs.

In Massachusetts, Illinois, and Washington, D.C., Catholic Charities has been forced to shut down for refusing to place children with same-sex couples.  “I’m worried that a child placement agency may make what is in the best interest of the child a correct decision but be subject to a lawsuit by someone who has a little bit of a leg up by virtue of being in a protective class,” said Daugaard.  “And if we can forestall that with this legislation then I’m willing to do that.”

“At least in South Dakota, children won’t be pawns in the Left’s push to legitimize same-sex parents,” the Family Research Council (FRC) wrote of SD’s new law.

“The law would ensure that the State of South Dakota may not coerce them to abandon their sincerely-held religious beliefs or moral convictions in their placement decisions and the ongoing need for placement of children in safe nurturing homes will be served,” according to the South Dakota Family Policy Council (SDFPC).

FRC and the SDFPC pointed out that currently SD faith-based adoption agencies don’t receive state funds for child placement services.  This law simply means that in the future they won’t be forced to choose between closing or abandoning their religious beliefs.

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a homosexual lobby group, suggested this bill will be used to discriminate against interracial couples.  It will also allow “state-funded adoption and foster care agencies to discriminate against LGBTQ youth in their care,” the HRC said in a press release.  “Some adoption agencies may have a vendetta against LGBTQ couples, mixed-faith couples or interracial couples,” said HRC legal director Sarah Warbelow.

James Kinyon, Executive Director of Catholic Social Services in Rapid City, told local media the law “allows us to do what we can for the common good” without threat of retribution from the government.

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

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

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

If Planned ‘Murderhood’ Dies – Babies Thrive

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a report stating that defunding Planned Parenthood (PP) would result in thousands more births annually.

No kidding!  By the same token, it would be just as many less murders in the USA.

320,000 to be exact … which is the number of abortions PP performs each year.

Despite the fact that PP always attempts to hide behind the claim that they exist for “women’s health,” a recent statement by PP’s President Cecile Richards reveals differently.  [read my blog for March 15 – “Planned ‘Murderhood’ is Proud to Provide Abortion”]  She tweeted that she and her organization are “proud to provide abortion — a necessary service that’s as vital to our mission as birth control or cancer screenings.”

As Breitbart News points out, if abortion makes up only 3% of the services provided by PP (another claim they so adamantly state), what makes it so vital over the other 97% of services?  The organization continues to bury itself in falsehoods to cover up its one true reason for existence — abortion.

It is important to remember that corporations continue to feed money into the abortion giant despite the facts.  Check out our [https://www.2ndvote.com/plannedparenthood/] to learn exactly which companies are funding PP’s life-destroying agenda either directly or through third party groups.  The companies listed include contact links where you can reach out directly to tell these brands to stop funding PP’s abortion agenda!

If you are pro-life (as am I), be sure your walk matches to talk.  Don’t give any business to these corporations providing money to the murder of innocent children.  By the same token, your tax-dollars must stop financing PP’s American Holocaust.

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

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

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

In Spite of Liberal Boycotts, NC Has Record Tourism

Do you remember all the predictions of doom-and-gloom for North Carolina because of HB-2?  I wrote about it in previous blogs [May 2, 2016 – “The Bathroom Battle is Bad Biology” and Aug 5, 2016 – “How DNC Really Feels About NC via WikiLeaks”]  Liberal groups led by the Human Rights Campaign and EqualityNC threatened boycotts and found very willing allies in the business community with PayPal, the NBA, and the Atlantic Coast Conference.

As part of a coordinated misinformation campaign, several companies signed a letter organized by EqualityNC that included the following passage:

“…HB-2 will make it far more challenging for businesses across the state to recruit and retain the nation’s best and brightest workers and attract the most talented students from across the nation.  It will also diminish the state’s draw as a destination for tourism, new businesses, and economic activity.”

However, a report just released by the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina shows hotel room occupancy was up 3.4% in 2016 compared to the previous year.  The report also shows that hotel room supply, demand and revenue per room, which indicates more people are visiting North Carolina … and hotel operators are bringing in more revenues!

These latest numbers come in addition to reports that more and more companies are turning to North Carolina as a place to do business.  

The Family Research Council also has a great piece on how Virgin America recently announced that the airline will be adding flights to Raleigh Durham International Airport because, according to the company spokesman, “RDU is a very desirable destination.”

Oh well: So much for the liberal boycotts.  These ‘little’ people appear to have awoken the ‘sleeping giant.’  Fact is: There is no rest for those who embrace traditional values.  Accept winning this battle, but recognize the ‘cultural war’ is far from over!

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

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

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Disney’s ‘Gay Moment’ Movie Shouldn’t Come as a Surprise

Coming this spring to a theater near you is Disney’s remake of Beauty and the Beast.  The newest version of the children’s classic includes a narrative that is being billed as Disney’s first ever “gay moment” on the screen.

Kimberly Ross of RedState (a conservative, political news blog for right of center activists) underscores the only reason a Disney character’s sexuality is relevant: “Because it’s 2017, and that’s the thing to do.”

Perhaps Ross is right.  The LGBT themes appear to be the topic du jour across the entertainment industry.  At one time the Academy Award for Best Picture went to epics movies like Ben-Hur and Chariots of Fire.  But in 2017 the Best Picture award went the second lowest-grossing film to win the top prize, but just so happens to be a story about sexual identity.

However, we shouldn’t be surprised by Disney’s decision to create a “gay moment”.  The Walt Disney Company scored the maximum of 100 in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index [https://2ndvote.com/human-rights-campaign/] and has donated directly to LGBT advocacy groups like GLAAD [https://2ndvote.com/business-entity/walt-disney-company/]  These two liberal organizations have been at the forefront of efforts to overturn laws upholding traditional marriage in recent years.

What remains to be seen is if Disney will continue down this path.  Turning children’s entertainment into cultural commentary on sexuality isn’t going to appeal to all parents and a recent Facebook post by Franklin Graham shows that theater owners may be taking a moral stance on the issue.

Question: Are you and your family skipping the 2017’s version of Beauty and the Beast?  Why not protest it and tell The Walt Disney Company why you’re looking for other entertainment options this year.

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

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

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Planned ‘Murderhood’ is “Proud to Provide Abortion”

If you are pro-life (as am I), you can’t help but notice how Planned Parenthood (PP) seems to downplay its abortion services and pretends to be a “healthcare” provider for women?  And if you’ve been in the fight for life for some time, you’ve probably observed how the left has acknowledged the dirty business of abortion and told us they only want to keep the procedure “safe, legal, and rare.”

Well, in an unusual moment of honesty, PP President Cecile Richards affirmed PP’s satisfaction with its abortion legacy saying: “Planned Parenthood is proud to provide abortion — a necessary service that’s as vital to our mission as birth control or cancer screenings.”

At long last, PP speaks the truth of its pride in providing abortion services.  The fact is: Abortion is what keeps this ‘killing’ business alive!  PP provides over 320,000 life-ending procedures each year.  

For months, my blog has been posting Live Action exposing PP’s “healthcare” masquerade by releasing tapes of employees telling undercover investigators that their clinics DID NOT offer prenatal care for expecting mothers.  In fact, one employee was recorded saying, “We specialize in abortions.  You know, that’s what our ultrasounds are for, to see how far along the patient is.”  Live Action also has a clip of Richards herself saying that prenatal care is among the “kinds of services that folks depend on Planned Parenthood for.”  Pro-life group Live Action even learned that employees were sometimes provided abortions quotas to fill.  Actual health care be damned!

So, PP is “proud to provide abortion,” provides no prenatal care, and apparently operates a well-tuned misinformation machine.  It’s shocking that any corporation would want to be associated with such a contemptible organization.  Click on this link [http://www.2ndvote.com/plannedparenthood/] to learn which corporations directly support PP’s abortion business.  From there you can click on the companies listed to see their score-pages and links where you can directly contact their corporate offices.

Will you tell the companies you patronize … or hold investments in … to stop funding PP’s abortion business? 

President Trump has offered an ultimatum to PP.  In a statement to The New York Times, Trump informed PP that they can keep their taxpayer funding … if they cease to do abortions.  “As I said throughout the campaign, I am pro-life and I am deeply committed to investing in women’s health and plan to significantly increase federal funding in support of non-abortion services such as cancer screenings,” he said.  Trump went on to say, “Polling shows the majority of Americans oppose public funding for abortion, even those who identify as pro-choice.  There is an opportunity for organizations to continue the important work they do in support of women’s health, while not providing abortion services.”

Congressional conservatives have urged the defunding of PP after a series of scandals exposed the organization as a greedy, inhumane organization.  Again, I’ve written several blogs on the undercover video investigations by the Center for Medical Progress who discovered PP employees negotiating the sale of fetal body parts.  

In the event that were wondering, PP did NOT accept Trump’s offer.

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

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

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Wiretapping Trump Tower is Not Far Fetched

Given the Obama Administration’s 8-years of political payback and heavy-handed bullying … targeted at their “political enemies” … why should it come as a surprise that they may have wiretapped Trump Tower?  After all, the Obama Administration used the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to wage an campaign of bullying and intimidation to silence Tea Party groups and Christian ministries.

In 2013 President Obama’s minions sent IRS agents to bully the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA).  At the time, Franklin Graham wrote in a letter to the White House stating, “I believe that someone in the administration was targeting and attempting to intimidate us.  This is morally wrong and unethical — indeed some would call it ‘un-American.’”  The BGEA had urged voters to back candidates who base their decisions on Biblical principles, and to support traditional marriage in the state of North Carolina.

Why would the government use the power of the IRS but to silence dissent and punish those who refused to comply?

So if the Obama Administration went after Billy Graham, it’s not out of the realm of possibility they might well have wiretapped Donald Trump.

The Mainstream Media believes such a charge is absurd.  But is it really?  James Rosen of Fox News was secretly designated by the administration as a criminal coconspirator.  A federal judge gave the government permission to go through his private emails.

Would you not agree that kind of behavior is a clear abuse of power?

So, isn’t it possible that the Obama Administration wiretapped Trump Tower?  Is it possible that government workers loyal to the previous president have been leaking sensitive information to the media?  Is it possible there is an active plot to take down the Trump presidency?

At the time of this blog posting, we do not know for certain if anyone was wiretapped.  And it’s for that reason we need an investigation.  If the Obama Administration did in fact order wiretaps — they must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.  If President Trump made false claims against the previous administration, he should apologize.

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

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

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

When a Christian Couple Refuses to Deny Jesus in India

A 50-year-old Christian convert in a remote town in India died after he and his wife were reportedly forced to stand in a freezing pond for 17 hours because of their faith.

According to Global Christian News (GCN), residents of the tribal village of Kubuaa were upset when, 10-years ago, Bartu Urawn and his family abandoned the native religion — Sarna Dharam — and became Christians.  As punishment for the family’s unwillingness to denounce Jesus Christ, villagers forced Bartu Urawn and his wife into the freezing pond for more than half a day.  Bartu Urawn’s son, Beneswar, told the GCN that his parents were immersed in the water from around 5 p.m. until 10 a.m. the following day.  After suffering two paralytic attacks that caused major nerve damage, Bartu Urawn died January 20, 2017.  “All throughout the night, they were in the cold water shivering and I, along with 15 to 20 villagers, were witness to the brutality,” Beneswar Urawn said.  “The villagers kept asking my father if he is ready to forsake Christ and return to the Sarna fold.  He reiterated every time, ‘I will not deny Christ. … I will continue to believe until my last breath.’”

Beneswar explained that his family was not the only one in the village that embraced Christianity over 10-years ago, as nine other families also decided to put their faith in Christ.  But amid constant demands that the families return to the indigenous religion, 7-families caved to threats and renounced Christ.  As a majority of families converted back to the tribal religion, pressure increased on the Urawn family.  Beneswar said the village came together like a mob, attacked his family, locked them inside their home for hours and soiled the family’s drinking water.

Bartu Urawn, GCN reported, was attacked by villagers for the past 3-years because of his faith.  It reached a boiling point last year, when a group abducted him and forced him to attend one of their tribal worship services.  During the service, an animal was sacrificed and the villagers forced Bartu Urawn to eat a portion of the animal and drink fermented liquor.  “They told my father that now the demons will not let him live,” Beneswar Urawn said.

When Bartu Urawn and his wife refused to deny their Christian faith, the angry villagers tied him and his wife up and forced them into the frigid water.  Beneswar Urawn said, “I was away and on my return, they made me sit outside the pond and watch my parents die.”

After subjecting them to the cold water all night, the mob of villagers reportedly began beating the Christian couple.  Beneswar Urawn’s mother survived the assault, his father did not.  And, rather than giving him the proper burial and prayer service on their private property, as they requested, Beneswar Urawn and his mother were forced to honor tribal tradition, which requires the wife to serve food to the entire village.

Beneswar Urawn said the police “did nothing” about his father’s death, but invited villagers to “peace talks” where they instructed villagers not to torment the Urawn family over their religion because it is a “personal matter.”

According to the 2017 World Watch List from Open Doors [https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/] – a non-governmental organization aiding persecuted Christians around the world – India ranks #15 in the list of 50-countries with the worst record on Christian persecution.  Open Doors classifies the persecution level as “very high” in India and says Christians are “regularly attacked by radical Hindus” in the country.  “The level of impunity has gone up markedly, with communities of converts to Christianity from Hinduism bearing the brunt of the persecution,” the Open Doors statement reads.  “They are constantly under pressure to return to their old beliefs, and are often physically assaulted, sometimes killed.”

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

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

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Atheist Wins Lawsuit to Remove 10-Commandments Monument from H.S. Grounds

The New Kensington-Arnold School District (Pennsylvania) capitulated to the demands of a self-avowed, militant atheist (Marie Schaub) who filed (in 2012) a federal lawsuit demanding the district remove a massive Ten Commandments monument erected on a public high school campus.

Ms. Schaub claimed the 6-foot-tall stone monument posted outside Valley High School was a religious symbol and therefore was a violation of the U.S. Constitution.  “It’s unfortunate that many people in my community don’t understand or appreciate the separation of church and state, but I hope this settlement serves as an important lesson,” she told the Valley News Dispatch (VND).  Schaub also claimed the monument was offensive to herself and her daughter.

Makes you wonder which commandment she found to be more offensive.  Was it coveting your neighbor’s ass or the one about graven images?

The school district has 30-days to extricate the monument from the front lawn, and they also have to fork over $164,000 in legal fees.

“We’re very pleased,” says attorney Patrick Elliott of Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF).  Elliott told the VND, “It means that the Constitution is being followed by the school district.” 

The FFRF is a group of perpetually offended atheists, agnostics and freethinkers based in Wisconsin.  They intentionally bully and intimidate small towns and communities in their quest to eradicate Christianity from the public marketplace.  They are truly an unpleasant bunch of people.

District Superintendent John Pallone told VND they agreed to settle the lawsuit “in order to take the high road.”  He went on to say, “We compromised and agreed to remove the monument.”

That’s hardly a compromise!  It’s more like appeasement!

The school district had an opportunity to demonstrate to children how to defend our Constitutional rights.  Instead, they chose to throw in the towel – for the sake of expedience.  And in doing so – they violated what Fox News host Todd Starnes calls the eleventh commandment: “Thou Shall Not Tucketh Tail and Run.”

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

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

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

Middle East Christians Fear for Their Lives

Christians fear for their lives in certain parts of the Middle East.  Islamic State (ISIS) has called them its primary target – its “favorite prey.”  And still, the plight and the tragedy of Middle East Christians go relatively unnoticed by the larger Christian and Western world according to a political commentator and TV host – Micah Halpern – for the Jerusalem Post.

The Christian community in Egypt numbers about 9-million.  It is the largest Christian community in the Middle East – and ISIS has hit it hard.  Most in Egypt are Coptic Christians.  They have their own pope and their own tradition and they do not genuflect to Rome.  They date themselves back to St. Mark in Alexandria during the period of Roman Emperor Claudius at about the year 42 AD, just after the death of Jesus.  Copts call themselves “Christians of Egypt.”  They are arguably the oldest Christian community in the world.

In December 2016, about 30 Egyptian Copts (mostly women and children) were massacred and many more were wounded, in their church, by ISIS.  Other than AP and Reuters only a handful of media in the world covered the terrorist attacks by running the wire releases.  Even fewer made more than casual mention of the atrocities against and persecution of Christians in the Middle East.

The events befalling the Christian community in Egypt are not simply newsworthy – they are an essential tool with which to elucidate the fragile status of a minority community in the Middle East (Christians among Muslims).  These persecutions are important tools in measuring the activities of Arab governments and their responses to the challenge.  

Jews are standing up and calling attention to the plight of Christians living under Muslim regime and being murdered by ISIS while worldwide Christian leadership remains silent smacks of only a slight touch of irony.

Micah Halpern says, “We need to prevent the oppression of minorities, and we know the importance of defending those who cannot defend themselves.  And while there are those in the Arabic world who say that Jews are exaggerating these atrocities only to make these Muslim regimes look bad, I say poppycock.  When extremist groups like ISIS are freely murdering it becomes big news in Israel.  The most obvious reason is because Israel may be next, because Israel – as the world should know – is on the front line.”

Over the past few weeks ISIS has produced and posted a “hit list” of Christians it intends to murder.  So far ISIS has murdered 7-people – one beheaded, another was burned alive. A father and son, members of the Hana family, were dumped on the side of the road after ISIS shot the father dead and burned his son alive.

Micah Halpern goes on to say, “The symbolism should not be lost.  In Islam the symbol of dumping a dead body on the side of the road outside a town, in this case the town was al-Arish, is very telling.  It means the victims are seen by the murderers an unfit for human burial and instead worthy only of being thrown to the dogs to be mauled and eaten.  The victims are seen by the murderers as subhuman.  And that is the way ISIS views all Christians, but most of all, the Christians of the Middle East.”

Many Christians are fleeing the Sinai where these attacks have taken place.  They have seen the writing on the wall and heard the promise of future threats.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi condemned the recent attacks, much in the same way that he condemned the December massacre.  But that’s all he’s done – little else has happened and the Christians rightfully fear for their lives.  Despite the AP and Reuters coverage of the persecutions the massacres of Christians in the Middle East has barely made a blip on the radar of the Western news media.  Sisi is reacting much the way Western media is reacting.

The Copts are not a part of the mainstream; they don’t belong.  Their tradition, their practice looks nothing like Western Christianity.  There are no significant populations and affiliations outside of Egypt to take up the battle cry and defend them.  Libya and Sudan have small Coptic communities, but they’re not going to make waves and risk their relative safety to help out in Egypt.  Western Catholic and Protestant groups are not connected to these Christians who are part of the Eastern Church.  That leaves Israel and Jews around the world.

Micah Halpern concludes, “Defense of Egypt’s Christian community is not purely selfless. We have, as they say, skin in the game.  We must call attention to the plight of the Christians under ISIS and other oppressors in order to make certain that moderate regimes in the region remain stable.  Egypt must protect the Christians and destroy ISIS because otherwise ISIS will destabilize the entire country and the region.  ISIS is recruiting members to help oppress the Christians.  Protecting Christians will protect the region.  Ultimately, it will protect Israel, too.”

Will the plight and the tragedy of Middle East Christians go unnoticed by the Western Christians?  What are you doing for your fellow Christians worldwide?

The Bible says – “If one part of the body [the Church] suffers, all the other parts share its suffering.” (1 Corinthians 12:26)

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

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

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

America’s UN Ambassador Comes out Swinging for Israel

In her first press briefing, US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley came out swinging.  After sharing with reporters impressions from her first Security Council (UNSC) meeting on Middle East issues, Haley vowed that the US would no longer turn a blind eye to the UN’s outrageous bias against the Jewish state.

“We will not repeat the mistake of [UNSC] Resolution 2334 [which castigated Israel for settlement building], instead we will push for action on the real threats in the Middle East” says Haley.  [read my blog of January 16, 2017 – “Repeal UN Resolution on Israel”]

Haley mentioned Hezbollah’s illegal buildup of rockets in Lebanon, the money and weapons Iran provides to terrorists, strategies for defeating ISIS, and holding Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad accountable for the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of civilians.  None of these issues was raised at the meeting of the UNSC, Haley noted; yet they find the time to castigate Israel.

In 1947, the UN voted in favor of the creation of a Jewish state and an Arab state.  But in 1975, under Soviet influence and with the help of dozens of autocratic regimes in Africa, South America and the Middle East that are eligible to vote, the UN passed the “Zionism is Racism” resolution.  It is the venue for the preposterously named Human Rights Council (UNHRC) – a body that gives special honors to moral achievers such as Cuba, Pakistan, Russia and Syria … while issuing more condemnations against Israel than against all other countries in the world combined.

The UNHRC’s agenda item 7 dictates that Israel’s purported human rights violations must be raised and discussed every single time the UNHRC convenes.

In 2016, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted 18 resolutions against Israel and the UNSC adopted 12 Israel-specific resolutions, “more than those focused on Syria, North Korea, Iran and South Sudan put together,” as Samantha Power [Obama’s UN Ambassador] noted in her speech in defense of the US’s inexplicable abstention on resolution 2334.

Now with the rise of what The New York Sun referred to in an editorial as “Haley’s Comet,” there is new-found optimism that an institution thought to be irredeemably and incorrigibly slanted against Israel can be salvaged for the benefit of all mankind.  Haley related how the US sought unsuccessfully to get the UNSC to condemn a Palestinian terrorist attack in which a terrorist driver attempted to run over innocent Israelis and stab them.  She said the UNSC’s decision to block a statement of condemnation was “shameful.”

Our UN Ambassador Haley has no intention of giving up, and her unrelenting confidence that change is possible could be contagious.  Maybe the UN really will abandon its fixation with Israel and begin living up to its true calling of mitigating conflicts and championing human rights.  Before Haley’s arrival there was little reason to hope for such.

Attitudes toward Israel are changing with or without the UN.  The Jewish state has succeeded in fostering new diplomatic relations, including with Muslim countries in Africa and Asia.  And Iran’s increasingly belligerent behavior has brought Israeli interests in line with those of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States.  As Haley noted, Israel is recognized as a beacon of stability in a region overcome with turmoil.  Its technological innovations and entrepreneurial spirit have made Israel a world leader in fields such as cyber security and water security.

Haley’s courage and vision … coupled with an US Executive Branch that is pro-Israel … come to the UN at a time when Israel’s standing in the world is changing.  Her first press conference is the opening volley in a winning battle to end the UN’s bias against Israel.

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

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

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel

OK Bill Requires the Baby’s Father’s Permission to Abort

An Oklahoma anti-abortion law – that would require a woman seeking an abortion to get permission from the baby’s father – has advanced to the state’s House of Representatives.

According to ABC News, the bill (introduced by Republican Rep. Justin Humphrey), passed OK’s Public Health Committee by a vote of 5-2.  If passed by the House, the bill would require women to obtain written consent from the baby’s father and to identify the father in writing to the doctor performing the abortion.  The bill would make exceptions for cases of rape, incest, or if the mother’s life is in danger.  The bill also would allow the baby’s father to request a DNA test.

“I believe one of the breakdowns in our society is that we have excluded the man out of all of these types of decisions,” said Humphrey.  “I’m like, hey, your body is your body, and be responsible with it,” he continued.  “But after you’re irresponsible then don’t claim, well, I can just go and do this with another body, when you’re the host and you invited that in.”

Humphrey came under fire from pro-abortion groups for introducing the bill, as well as for referring to women as “hosts” for fetuses.  Pro-abortionists claim that the bill is a violation of constitutional rights.  As evidence, they cite the 1992 case of Planned Parenthood v. Casey in which it was ruled that Pennsylvania’s spousal-notification provision infringed on a woman’s right to obtain an abortion.  “This is an outrageous affront to women, women’s autonomy and women’s decision-making capacity,” stated Laura McQuade, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood Great Plains.

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

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

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel