Russell Moore announces departure from ERLC

Earlier this week, Russell Moore announced he is leaving his role as president of the ERLC. Moore will join Christianity Today in a new role as Public Theologian and Director of the Public Theology Project, where he will continue to engage pressing cultural issues with the gospel.

“I’ve struggled with this decision, because my gratitude for the honor of serving the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission is so deep,” said Moore. “As I conclude my time serving Southern Baptists as ERLC president, I am filled with gratitude as well as excitement for the future.”

This Week in Washington, D.C.

This week, the Supreme Court of the United States announced that it will take up a major abortion case, entitled Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. This will be the most significant abortion case the Surpreme Court has taken up in decades, and could have huge ramifications for Roe v. Wade. The case involves the constitutionality of Mississippi’s ban on most abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy.

This will also be the first abortion case the Supreme Court hears since the confirmation and installation of Amy Coney Barrett. This case is expected to be argued this Fall, with a decision being released in Spring 2022.

ERLC’s Vice President of Operations and Life Initiatives, Elizabeth Graham shared these comments on the court's decision:

“I’m glad the Court took up Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization today because it could be a generationally significant case for the future of abortion in America. All Americans of goodwill want the state to protect their neighbors from harm, and yet, just as Jesus told us, we will argue among ourselves about who really counts as our neighbor.

The question our nation must wrestle with is whether or not a child in the womb is, indeed, a preborn child and therefore, our neighbor. As Christians, knowing the answer is not a reason to feel moral superiority, but to lament the abortion industry’s legal lies and to work to undue them. This case could be instrumental toward that end.

The ERLC will continue to engage the Court on critical questions of human dignity and state responsibility through all forms of advocacy. We will minister with joyful confidence because we know that the witness we hold out is more permanent than the makeup of a bench and the news we proclaim is better than the best of legal decisions.”

From The Public Square

Tennessee gov signs transgender 'bathroom bill' for schools
Associated Press

Tennessee's Republican governor has signed legislation putting public schools and districts at risk of losing civil lawsuits if they let transgender students or employees use multi-person bathrooms that do not reflect their gender at birth.

Texas Passes Heartbeat Abortion Law With Broad Civil Enforcement Provision
Religion Clause

Today the Texas legislature sent to Governor Greg Abbott for his signature SB8 (full text), the state's version of a "heartbeat" abortion law. Except in medical emergencies, it bans performing or inducing an abortion if the physician has detected a fetal heartbeat.

Government Report Signals Hope for Middle Eastern Christians
Providence

For many people of faith or even no faith, the cause of freedom of religion or belief is instrumental. The Middle East—home to the Abrahamic religions of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam—continues to remain the world’s top hotspot for religious persecution, even after the historic signing of the Abraham Accords.

EXPLAINER: The Supreme Court takes a major abortion case
Associated Press

The Supreme Court agreed on Monday to decide a major abortion case that could dramatically alter decades of rulings on abortion rights and eventually lead to dramatic restrictions on abortion access.

What You Need to Read

Jordan Wootten with How do we make sense of modern culture? An interview with Carl Trueman about The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self

Our modern culture seems to be changing at a dizzying pace. Issues of selfhood, sexuality, and religious liberty continually dominate the national conversation, prompting us to wonder how we got here and how we are to move forward. Carl Trueman, in his recent book, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, helps us to understand and answer these questions. For Christians seeking to make sense of Western culture, his book’s survey of the past helps “bring clarity to the present and give guidance for the future.”

Ethan and Michaela Holsteen with The importance of the church when dealing with disability and grief: How one family leaned into community after their child’s diagnosis with Cri du Chat Syndrome

Grief can be isolating. When we go through loss, we often want to shrink back to put up walls and pull ourselves away from others. However, what we most often need is others around us, helping us to look up from our current situation to see how God is at work and be reminded of what is true, not ignoring the pain, but learning how to walk the path of suffering well while in Christian community.

Jared Kennedy with 3 subtle sins to warn your kids about: And why it matters when wrestling with sexual temptation

Our culture glamorizes relational happiness. Young girls grow up on Disney love stories, believing marriage is a fairy tale of unending personal intimacy. Young men fantasize about an indulgent honeymoon. As parents, we want relational joy for our kids too. We all want the glory of fulfillment and love.

If fulfillment is the goal, it can be tempting for families to accept their child’s gender transition or their desire to pursue a romantic same-sex relationship without any qualification. Some parents feel that if they don’t affirm their child’s desires and support a same-sex partnership or gender transition, they’ll be robbing their child of a life of joy. But true wholeness isn’t found in temporal relationships. It’s found in Christ.

This Week at the ERLC

Featured Podcasts

This week on the ERLC Podcast, Josh, Lindsay, and Brent discuss Dr. Moore's resignation from the ERLC along with his move to Christianity Today, views on masks guidance, the latest on Israel and Hamas, Texas signing a six-week abortion ban, and SCOTUS taking a critical abortion case.

On WeeklyTech, Jason Thacker is joined by Dr. David VanDrunen, Professor of Systematic Theology and Christian Ethics at Westminster Seminary California to talk about his latest book, “Politics After Christendom.”