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As tragedy and loss continue to sweep Maui and the death toll tops 100, churches and Christian ministries are stepping up to the plate to help those in need. Groups such as Samaritan’s Purse are bringing in relief supplies, with local residents also offering prayer and housing to newly homeless victims reeling from the horror.

“Less than a week after the devastation, Harvest Kumulani Chapel, about 10 miles from the town of Lahaina, asked those in attendance at its two Sunday services whether anyone needed housing or other assistance,” Higher Ground contributor Alex Murashko writes. “Members of the church were not only ready to help fulfill the requests but stayed after both services to pray for those needing help.”

 

Abortion battle’s new frontier

The overturning of Roe v. Wade and the return of abortion laws to the states has opened up the floodgates to new battles. The recent constitutional amendment vote in Ohio is just one of the latest frontiers on which both sides will jockey over the contentious issue.

According to The Washington Times’ Valerie Richardson, pro-life advocates are urging GOP leaders and 2024 presidential candidates to take a staunch position on the matter.

“Leaders of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America urged the GOP hopefuls to make a forceful case for abortion limits next week at their first primary debate, Aug. 23 in Milwaukee,” Ms. Richardson writes. “Candidates who fail to champion a ‘reasonable consensus limit’ on abortion, such as banning most procedures after 12-15 weeks’ gestation, ‘fail to gain the advantage the abortion issue will bring you,’ SBA President Marjorie Dannenfelser said.”

Read more about the issue here.

GOP candidate’s Christian call

In other election news, The Times’ Mark A. Kellner caught up with Virginia Bishop E.W. Jackson, speaking with the Republican presidential candidate about his call for a return to Judeo-Christian values in America.

“I really believe that without Judeo-Christian values and principles coming back, our country is headed for a cataclysm for disaster,” Mr. Jackson said. “[America’s] problem is not global warming, but moral cooling [and] I don’t hear any other candidate is saying that.”

Read what else Mr. Jackson had to say about America and his longshot presidential hopes here.

Pro-lifers score legal victory

Back on the abortion beat, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit unanimously sided with pro-life activists who wrote “Black Preborn Lives Matter” in chalk on a D.C. sidewalk — an act during an August 2020 protest that led to their arrest. The court argued the activists were likely the victims of viewpoint discrimination.

“Both were accused of defacing public property,” Ms. Richardson writes. “Given that Black Lives Matter protesters had been allowed to paint and chalk messages on the streets that summer without punishment, the appellate court said there was merit in the pro-life groups’ claim of selective enforcement.”

Get the rest of the details here.

Pro-lifers score partial legal victory

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday that the abortion pill can remain on the market, but it can’t be mailed, a move the Biden administration had pushed.

The three-judge panel also ruled that only doctors can prescribe the pill, rejected the Obama administration’s move to raise the maximum gestational age for use to 10 weeks, and reinstated the need for an in-person follow-up visit.

The ruling is on hold under a previous order of the Supreme Court. The Justice Department said it will appeal the new decision to the high court.

Virginia governor’s stern warning

Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin implored the Fairfax County School Board to “follow the law” after Superintendent Michelle Reid decided to defy the state’s new policy about transgender students.

Ms. Reid has said the district “would continue to address students by their preferred names and pronouns and allow them to use facilities ‘consistent with their gender identity,’” despite new state regulations.

“The district’s policies on ‘gender expansive and transgender students’ fly in the face of the department’s guidance, which requires educators to use students’ legal names or nicknames and sex-based pronouns unless their parents instruct the school in writing to use different names or pronouns,” Ms. Richardson writes.

’Sound of Freedom’ keeps ringing

Meanwhile, “Sound of Freedom” continues its reign at the box office, with Angel Studios announcing investors in the film have made a 20% profit from its successes.

“In the five weeks since its July 4 release, the faith-forward movie has raked in $172.8 million at the box office, putting it ahead of ‘Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One’ and ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ — two highly touted, big budget summer releases,” Mr. Kellner writes.

For more on the sleeper summer hit about child trafficking, read his full report.

Catholic school scores religious liberty win

In other news, a Catholic school in New Jersey was found to be within its legal rights when it denied the renewal of an art teacher’s contract after she became pregnant out-of-wedlock.

“Victoria Crisitello, who had once attended the school as a student, returned as a teacher in 2011 and signed a statement agreeing to the Archdiocese of Newark’s code of ethics for professional employees,” Mr. Kellner writes. “In 2014 … Ms. Crisitello told the principal … that she was pregnant. Shortly after that disclosure, the school informed Ms. Crisitello that her premarital sex violated the ethics code and she could not remain at the school.”

The Supreme Court of New Jersey ruled the school was within its rights. The full details are here.

In our opinion

On the commentary page, Times columnist Billy Hallowell warns about the criminalization of Christianity, covering troubling free speech cases against Christians and politicians around the globe.

“From arrests and legal battles to fines and potential prison time, we’re increasingly watching people face penalties for speech and the expression of personal ideals,” Mr. Hallowell writes. “The criminalization of truth is particularly perplexing amid a renaissance of toxic relativism, yet it’s an arduous reality.”

And over on “Ask Dr. E,” Everett Piper answers a question percolating in the faith space right now: “Are Christians becoming too political?” Plus, in his column, he separately deals with another important issue: trust in our politicians and the ability to discern their tactics and penchant for truth.

“When a politician calls those who disagree with him ‘ignorant,’ or when a professor labels her antagonists ‘fools,’ you know the argument is more about political agendas than pursuing truth,” Mr. Piper writes. “Beware of these tactics. They rarely lead you to your goal of deciphering fact from fiction.”