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The Weekly is a highlight of the work the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission is doing to strengthen you and our churches for God’s glory.

5 Facts about Iran

Over the past two weeks, tensions between the United States and Iran have escalated to the point of warfare between the two nations. President Trump accused the Iranian government of orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on New Year’s Eve. This led to the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani on Jan. 3 by a U.S. airstrike, and a counter-response that included Iranian airstrikes against American bases in Iraq.
Here are five facts you should know about the United State’s foremost geopolitical nemesis in the Middle East region:

1. Iran is the modern name for the nation that Westerners have historically referred to as Persia. (In 1935, the Iranian government requested those countries which it had diplomatic relations refer to the country as Iran.) As one of the world's oldest continuous major civilizations, the land, empire, and rulers of Persia are frequently mentioned in the Old Testament. The first mention appears in the book of Esther when a Jewish girl becomes the queen to Xerxes I, the “king of the Persians and the Medes.” Cyrus II of Persia (known as Cyrus the Great) is mentioned both in 2 Chronicles and Ezra, and another king, Artaxerxes I of Persia, plays a significant role in the book of Nehemiah. Persian people and rulers are also mentioned in the prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekial, and Daniel.

This Week at the ERLC

Jason Thacker was on the Limitless Spirit podcasts discussing AI and his upcoming book. He was also on The World and Everything in It discussing California’s new privacy law.

What You Need to Know

To be slow to speak (or tweet or post or gram) is to pause and take time to think about the words we are using. It means resisting the urge to let it all hang out as a stream of consciousness for all the world to see. It’s the self-control to not engage in meaningless debates, even (and perhaps especially) if we think are right.

No one, even our political rivals or ideological opponents, is beyond the reach of the gospel. And as we engage with those with whom we lack commonality, we should be mindful of their humanity and our own need for humility. Doing so may just turn an opponent into a friend.

In 2016, the Supreme Court issued one of the most significant rulings on abortion in decades. The Court ruled in a 5-3 decision on Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt to overturn state laws designed to regulate abortion clinics in a way that would protect women’s health.

News From Capitol Hill

The team at the Leland House open 2020 on our Capitol Conversations podcast with a month-long series of episodes on human dignity.
The series will lead up to the annual March For Life at the end of the month on Friday, Jan. 24. The conversations will explore the implications of this foundational theological truth on the public square. We hope to help Christians think well about what the Bible teaches about humanity, what it means to be made in the image of God, and how to apply this theology to our choices in life, ministry, and advocacy on issues before the government.
On this week’s episode, Jeff Pickering, Chelsea Patterson Sobolik, Steven Harris, and Travis Wussow talk about how they apply the theology of human dignity to issues of public policy.

Featured Podcasts

On The Way Home podcast, Dan Darling talks to Marvin Olasky, editor-in-chief of WORLD Magazine, about his passion for journalism and a Christian approach to writing and reporting. Listen here.

From The Public Square

Planned Parenthood reports increased number of abortions
Tess Schoonhoven, Baptist Press

Planned Parenthood Federation of America's (PPFA) 2018-2019 annual report released Monday (Jan. 6) showed that the organization performed 345,672 abortion procedures in 2018.

New bill wants to force student-athletes in Tennessee to play as gender identified at birth
Kelly McCarthy, ABC News

A controversial bill in Tennessee that would seek to stop transgender athletes from playing on a team that matches their gender identity has drawn some sharp criticism in the LGBTQ+ and sports communities.

How Families Influence a Child’s Risk of Internet Abuse
Laurie DeRose, Institute for Family Studies

Across 25 European countries, rates of “internet abuse” were higher among adolescents when they lived with one parent rather than two.

Religious freedom panel gets reauthorization
Harvest Prude, WORLD Magazine

After drama and legislative wrangling, lawmakers compromise on funding and new regulations.