Four reasons Christians should still oppose same-sex marriage

A recent Gallup poll finds that support for same-sex marriage has reached an all-time high. Currently, 70% of Americans say marriages between same-sex couples should be recognized by the law as valid, with the same rights as traditional marriages. The shift is primarily due to support by the younger generations: 84% of young adults, 72% of middle-aged adults, and 60% of older adults say they favor same-sex marriage.

Editor's Note

Next week more than 16,000 Southern Baptists will gather in Nashville for the SBC annual meeting. If you're not familiar with the SBC, the annual meeting is part business meeting and part family reunion where we come together to elect leaders and discuss important issues. This year marks a particular inflection point in the life of our denomination. We will choose a new SBC president, as our current president J.D. Greear completes a historic three years of service, and we will address many significant matters including the recently surfaced questions about our collective response to sexual abuse within Southern Baptist churches.
As we prepare for next week, would you pray for us? Pray that above all God would be honored through our words and conduct. Pray that God would use this moment for his glory. And pray for our ERLC team, that we would serve faithfully and with joy in the midst of it all.

This Week in Washington, D.C.

The ERLC, along with other organizations, recently filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court of the United States, asking the court to grant the petition of a coalition of religious groups and protect them from New York’s abortion mandate. This case centers around a New York regulation that requires employee healthcare plans to cover “medically necessary” abortions.

The ERLC will always stand for life and religious freedom. The ERLC is supportive of the Conscience Protection Act, which prevents government discrimination against healthcare workers and insurers that object to being involved in abortion. Additionally, the ERLC has also sent multiple letters to congressional leadership urging them to adhere to pro-life policy riders following the release of President Biden’s FY 2022 budget proposal that notably does not include the funding of the Hyde Amendment. The ERLC remains actively engaged in the appropriations process to advocate for pro-life and religious liberty provisions. The ERLC will continue to uphold the dignity of life before the courts, Congress and the administration.

From The Public Square

Mixed Views Among Americans on Transgender Issues
Gallup

While Americans maintain their support for transgender military service, a majority believe birth gender, rather than gender identity, should govern participation in competitive sports.

Chinese birth-control policy could cut millions of Uyghur births: Report
ABC News

Chinese birth-control policies could cut up to 4.5 million births of Muslim minorities living in the country’s Xinjiang province over the next 20 years, according to a report published Tuesday morning in the Central Asian Survey, a quarterly academic journal.

Pastor seeks revival of suit challenging virus restrictions
Associated Press

About 100 supporters of a Louisiana minister gathered outside a federal appeals court in New Orleans on Monday to show support as his lawyers asked to revive a lawsuit he filed last year challenging the state's coronavirus restrictions.

Washington's largest county bans government use of facial recognition software
ABC News

King County, which comprises the greater Seattle area and is home to some 2.3 million people, announced Tuesday that a proposal to ban government agencies use of facial recognition software had been approved by a vote of 9-0.

What You Need to Read

Catherine Parks with What are the ethical concerns with noninvasive prenatal testing?

As followers of Christ, we recognize the inherent value of every person, even the tiniest preborn baby. At times, prenatal screening will reveal health issues ranging from minor to life-threatening. Whether these issues are revealed early in pregnancy or after birth, we have the opportunity to support families caring for children with a variety of needs. In some cases, our willingness to do so could be the difference for a mother deciding whether to choose life after a difficult diagnosis.

Darby Strickland with 4 Reasons Why Women Stay in Abusive Relationships

Seek to understand why a victim is choosing to stay. It is easy to think, “I would never put up with that!” or “I’d be out of there.” But until you live under the crushing terrorizing reality of abuse, you really do not know what you would do. Every choice comes at a steep cost. In some cases, you might be able to help ease the suffering, for instance by helping her find a job or housing. If a victim chooses to stay based upon her convictions or children, she will continue to need your support.

Jordan Wootten with Why the fear of the Lord is good news

The real reason for our anxiety is our loss of the fear of God. Having lost God as the proper object of healthy fear, our culture is necessarily becoming ever more neurotic, ever more anxious about anything and everything. Without a kind and fatherly God’s providential care, we are left utterly uncertain about the shifting sands of both morality and reality. In ousting God from our culture, we feel helplessly fragile. No longer anchored, society fills with free-floating anxieties.

This Week at the ERLC

Featured Podcasts

This week on the ERLC Podcast, Josh, Lindsay, and Brent discuss how many messengers are registered for SBC 2021, Rick Warren’s retirement, Joe Biden's trip to the UK, the birth of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s daughter, and cicadas causing chaos.

In this episode of the WeeklyTech Podcast, Jason Thacker is joined by Dr. Alan Noble, who serves as associate professor of English at Oklahoma Baptist University, to talk about his most recent book Disruptive Witness: Speaking Truth in a Distracted Age.