KFUO Radio News Break

In today's News:

Christians mourn for Hagia Sophia

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said yesterday that July 24 “is a day of mourning” for Hagia Sophia. The former church and museum in Istanbul will that day be inaugurated as a mosque. In a July 21 tweet, the Conference said that it joins the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America “in offering our prayers for the restoration of Hagia Sophia as a place of prayer and reflection for all peoples.” Turkish President Erdoğan signed a decree July 10 converting Hagia Sophia into a mosque. The decree followed closely on a ruling by the Council Of State, Turkey's highest administrative court, which declared unlawful an 80-year old government decree which converted the building from a mosque into a museum.

Hope for faith-based adoption agencies

The U.S. Court Of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit issued a resounding victory yesterday for New Hope Family Services, a faith-based adoption provider. The court reversed a district court’s dismissal of New Hope’s lawsuit against New York officials seeking to shut down the provider simply for its religious beliefs about marriage. In November, at the request of Alliance Defending Freedom attorneys representing New Hope, the 2nd Circuit temporarily halted state officials from interrupting current adoption placements or mandating the closure of New Hope’s adoption program until the court had a chance to consider whether to reverse the federal district court’s decision. The case now goes back to district court for further proceedings. The New York State Office of Children and Family Services singled out the religious nonprofit for its policy prioritizing the placement of children it serves in homes with a married mother and father. In its decision in favor of New Hope, the 2nd Circuit concluded that the district court should not have dismissed the lawsuit because the adoption provider’s arguments demonstrate that the government’s regulation may not have been neutral and may instead have been “informed by hostility toward certain religious beliefs.” In the past, the state agency praised New Hope for the quality of its services, but the state agency later changed course and singled out the nonprofit’s policy regarding child placements. The state agency described the policy as “discriminatory and impermissible” despite the fact that New Hope respectfully refers couples to other providers and has faced no formal complaints from prospective parents due to the policy. The state agency issued an ultimatum that New Hope revise its policy or submit a close-out plan for its adoption program.

Another city declares itself a 'sanctuary for the unborn'

East Mountain became the 14th Texas city to declare itself a “sanctuary for the unborn” on Monday, joining a growing effort to protect unborn babies from abortions across the state. KETK reports the city council voted to approve the pro-life ordinance Monday for its city, population 797. The vote was three in favor, two abstentions.

In today's News:

Americans say God is important

In a new survey, the Pew Research Center found that 72 percent of Americans said God plays an important role in their life, and 67 percent said prayer also plays an important role. Worldwide, the poll showed that 61 percent of people say God plays an important role in their life. Prayer was slightly less important globally, with 53 percent of people agreeing that prayer plays an important role in their life. The survey also showed that religion is “very” or “somewhat” important to 62 percent of people, while 34 percent said “not at all” or “not too much.” However, when asked whether belief in God is necessary to be moral and have good values, 54 percent of Americans said it was not, while 44 percent said that it is. The median percentage for the world was 44 percent.

Hands off Texas religious schools

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Friday told religious private schools in the state that local governments are not allowed to order them to close or to dictate covid-19 precautionary measures to them. Paxton said local public health ordinances must be consistent with the governor’s orders and the attorney general’s guidance, adding that local governments are “prohibited from closing religious institutions or dictating mitigation strategies to those institutions.” Gov, Greg Abbott had also exempted houses of worship from the statewide masking order, while at the same time encouraging the houses of worship themselves to require masks.

Finnish Lutheran theologian called home

The Rev. Dr. Anssi Simojoki, a major figure in Finnish Lutheranism and African missions, passed away on July 6 at his home. He was 75 years old. He left a deep spiritual impact on Finland and more broadly on missions. He was known as a powerful preacher of the Gospel, a versatile theologian, a courageous ecclesiastical debater, and a prolific writer and wordsmith. He was a founding member and longtime general secretary of the St. Paul’s Synod in 1975, a forum and think tank for the confessional Lutheran defense of the office of the ministry in public discussions — including in the theological debate on woman’s priesthood, a debate which led to deep divisions in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland.

China cracks down on Christians

Chinese communist authorities have ordered poor Christian villagers to remove Christian images from their homes and replace them with portraits of Chairman Mao and President Xi Jinping or risk losing their welfare benefits. The Chinese Communist Party has continued its program of “Sinicization” of religion by channeling religious fervor in the country toward the party rather than god, the Christian Post reported this weekend. In April, for instance, party officials visited the homes of Christians in Linfen, in the northern province of Shanxi, ordering those who receive welfare payments from the government to remove crosses, Christian symbols and images in their homes and replace them with portraits of china’s communist leaders. The officials threatened the Christians that non-compliance with the order would result in suspension of their welfare subsidies.

In today's News:

Pro-life protects its speech

Citizens across the state of Texas are taking legal action to protect themselves from speech-chilling lawsuits filed by abortion proponents. Attorneys from the Thomas More Society are playing offense in the Lone Star State to protect the rights of pro-life advocates in eight separate counties. The not-for-profit, national public interest law firm filed the complaints in Texas’ district courts on July 16 seeking protections for life-advocating individuals against three abortion extremist groups that are actively attempting to silence pro-life speech. The filings were prompted following aggressive attacks by abortion promoters, Afiya Center, Texas Equal Access Fund and Lilith Fund For Reproductive Equity, that sued pro-life advocate Mark Lee Dickson and Right To Life of East Texas In June 2020 for alleged defamation over statements that described abortion as “criminal.” The Thomas More Society Seeks a declaratory judgment on behalf of Texas individuals who hold life-affirming views and understand that the Texas statutes criminalizing abortion remain state law.

'Pro-life' called racist

The Blaze reports Rolling Stone Writer Jamil Smith proposed that the term “pro-life” be banned Wednesday along with many other terms and products deemed to be racist. “The moniker ‘pro-life,’ so often used in the service of not just misogyny but also racism, should be retired right along with Aunt Jemima and the Redskins team name,” Smith wrote. Smith is a senior writer who covers “the intersection of politics and identity” for Rolling Stone magazine.

SBA wants Planned Parenthood to return money

A Planned Parenthood affiliate in California that allegedly sold aborted baby body parts received $7.5 million in coronavirus aid money meant for small businesses this spring. According to Just The News, Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties received the largest Paycheck Protection Program grant of all of the abortion chain’s affiliates across the country. The Small Business Administration (SBA) has demanded that planned parenthood return the money, but it is not clear if it has done so.

Religious vandals will be punished

Those who have vandalized and targeted Catholic churches and religious statues will be prosecuted “to the fullest extent of the law,” a senior White House official told the Daily Caller News Foundation on Friday. The White House official cited the “recent onslaught of violence against Catholic monuments like the Virgin Mary statue in Boston and the Jesus statue in Miami,” calling these acts “absolutely appalling.” The president signed an executive order June 26 promising to punish anyone who desecrates public monuments, Trump’s campaign also weighed in on the matter following numerous reports of vandalism at Catholic churches throughout the United States, as well as one instance in Alberta, Canada.

In today's News:

LCMS former CFO called home

Dr. Thomas W. Kuchta, who served as Chief Financial Officer of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) from 2001 to 2010, died Tuesday in Elm Grove, Wisc. He was 78. Kuchta served three terms as the Synod’s CFO. At the 2004 LCMS convention, he was the only nominee to receive 100 percent of the vote — all 1,122 votes cast. Kuchta served on numerous Synod boards, including for Concordia Publishing House, Lutheran Church Extension Fund, the LCMS Foundation, the LCMS Board of Directors and Concordia Plan Services. Kuchta is survived by his wife, Ilona; two daughters, Michelle Kuchta and Stacey Setzer; two grandsons, Alexander and Broderick Setzer; and one brother, James Kuchta.

Religious freedom is 'foremost'

A draft report from an advisory body to the U.S. State Department on human rights says that religious freedom is “foremost” among human rights. The commission was established last July by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who announced that Mary Ann Glendon, former U.S. Ambassador to The Holy See, would lead it. Pompeo explained the need for the commission yesterday, noting that an increase in the number of recognized human rights presents “risks of collision” between rights claims, as well as “risks of trivializing core American values.” In his time at the state department, he said, as cables from around the world came in he realized officials were discussing rights in ways that were “deeply inconsistent.”

Churches sue California's governor

On Wednesday, three churches sued pro-abortion Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom for singling out houses of worship in his latest coronavirus restrictions, the Washington Examiner reports. The churches, Calvary Chapel of Ukiah, Calvary Chapel Fort Bragg and River of Life Church, said California leaders are unfairly targeting them by allowing massive protests to continue while heavily restricting religious worship. On July 1, the California Department of Public Health issued new guidelines outlining steps that houses of worship must take to help prevent further spread of the virus. One of those measures prohibits singing, even when people are social distancing and wearing masks. The state also limits indoor religious attendance to “25 percent of building capacity or a maximum of 100 attendees, whichever is lower.” According to the lawsuit, the churches could face fines, imprisonment or both if they violate Newsom’s mandate.

City ends partnership with church

Local government authorities ended a partnership with a Christian church in Alabama offering outreach programs at public housing communities after a senior pastor was criticized online for liking several conservative-based memes. The church also was banned from leasing public high schools for its worship services. According to a report by al.com, Senior Pastor Chris Hodges was first denounced by high school English teacher Jasmine Faith Clisby, who pointed out on Facebook that “Hodges, founder of the Church of the Highlands, repeatedly ‘liked’ social media posts by (Charlie) Kirk.” Kirk is the founder and president of Turning Point USA, a national student movement promoting the principles of free markets and limited government among young people.

In today's News:

Governor vows to fight for ‘heartbeat law’

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee promised Tuesday to do “whatever it takes” to defend unborn babies from a lawsuit filed by several prominent pro-abortion groups. On Monday, the pro-life republican signed a broad pro-life law to protect unborn babies from abortions once their heartbeats are detectable, about six weeks of pregnancy. However, a judge blocked the law just 45 minutes later after Planned Parenthood, the American Civil Liberties Union and The Center for Reproductive Rights sued. Responding to the lawsuit, Lee said he is committed to defending the law in court, the AP reports. The pro-life legislation includes informed consent measures as well. It requires abortion facilities to inform women about the abortion pill reversal procedure and the size and gestational age of their unborn babies. It also requires abortion facilities to allow the mother to hear her unborn baby’s heartbeat and see the baby on an ultrasound.

Lutherans worldwide keep the faith

As people across the globe struggle with the effects of the covid-19 pandemic, confessional Lutherans are reaching out with the comfort of the Gospel and practical care. Since April, the International Lutheran Council (ILC) has been chronicling the response of member church bodies around the world in a series of reports at the ILC website. To date, the ILC has highlighted the response of 24 Lutheran church bodies across the globe, including churches in Argentina, Australia And New Zealand, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Germany, Ghana, Haiti, India, Japan, Nicaragua, The Philippines, Russia, Rwanda, Sweden, South Africa, South Sudan, Togo, the United Kingdom and the United States. Many of these nations have restricted church gatherings to limit the spread of the coronavirus. In response, churches have acted quickly to provide online resources for members during the pandemic — through livestreamed worship services, downloadable devotional resources and social media outreach.

Life Ministry director is installed

Deaconess Tiffany Manor joined the Office of National Mission as director of LCMS Life Ministry on April 14, but due to covid-19 restrictions, her installation was delayed until June 12. LCMS President the Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison preached for the installation on John 3:1–17, telling Manor, “You come at an interesting moment. … the Lord will bless. He will give you everything you need.” Manor is married to the Rev. Jonathan Manor, pastor of Lutheran Church of the Savior in Bedford, Mass., and they have four children. She enjoys walking, crafts, swimming, kayaking and “all things water.” The Manors are expecting their first grandchild in November.

In today's News:

Charges are dropped against a pastor

The Commonwealth of Virginia has dropped the criminal charges against Pastor Kevin Wilson of Lighthouse Fellowship Church on Chincoteague Island. As a result of Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s covid order 55, police served a summons to Wilson for holding a church service on Palm Sunday for 16 people spaced far apart in a sanctuary that is rated for 293 people. The penalty included up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine. The General District Court for Accomack County has now dropped the charges. Liberty Counsel represents Lighthouse Fellowship Church, which has filed its opening brief to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in the federal lawsuit against Northam for violating its religious freedom. Under the orders, the church can hold meetings with an unlimited number of people to feed, shelter, and provide social services, but religious services are restricted to no more than 10 people. The 10-person restriction is still in effect. Even though the criminal charges were dropped, the civil case will continue.

Judge blocks 'heartbeat law'

A federal judge has blocked Georgia’s 2019 law banning most abortions on babies with detectable heartbeats, ruling that it violates the u.s. Constitution. Signed into law in may 2019, the Living Infants Fairness and Equality (LIFE) Act would forbid abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, except in cases of rape, incest, physical medical emergencies, and pregnancies deemed “medically futile.” If allowed to take effect, it would have banned abortions in all other cases as early as six weeks into a pregnancy – when a baby’s heartbeat can be detected. Last year abortion advocates with the American Civil Liberties Union, Center for Reproductive Rights and Planned Parenthood challenged the law’s constitutionality and U.S. District Judge Steve Jones placed an injunction on the law before it ever took effect. Yesterday, Jones blocked the law altogether. Gov. Brian Kemp has said the state will appeal the ruling.

California closes churches, exempts abortion facilities again

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is once again putting California on a lockdown. Because of increased cases of the coronavirus, Newsom is closing down most businesses and forcing churches to close, canceling worship services, but abortion businesses are exempted. Newsom just shut down indoor church services again in more than 30 counties and the announcement was made during his noon press briefing Monday discussing efforts to combat the spread of covid-19. The order comes after Newsom further discriminated against churches by banning singing and chanting in houses of worship and limiting in-person services to 25 percent of building capacity or a maximum of 100 attendees, yet for weeks he allowed thousands of people to protest in mass gatherings. Newsom hinted that some of the new restrictions might stay in place until a vaccine is developed.

In today's News:

Planned Parenthood was exposed five years ago today

Five years ago today in 2015, David Daleiden released the first of many incriminating videos that showed the world the gruesome underbelly of illegal practices by the abortion industry. The Thomas More Society would soon thereafter begin its defense of undercover journalist Daleiden. As researchers and reporters for the Human Capital Project of the Center for Medical Progress, Daleiden and his investigative partner, Sandra Merritt, posed as human tissue buyers. What they uncovered shocked the country as the videos they recorded revealed planned parenthood’s involvement in aborted baby body parts trafficking. Daleiden has been charged by pro-abortion interests with a broad range of both felonies and misdemeanors.

Trump finalizes another pro-life regulation

The Trump administration finalized another pro-life regulation yesterday, this one to clarify that the definition of sex discrimination in Obamacare does not include abortions. The new rule officially ends a 2016 regulation from the Obama administration that could have forced medical workers to help abort unborn babies. It restores the government’s interpretation of sex discrimination to “the plain meaning … as determined by biology,” according to the U.S. Department Of Health and Human Services.

Judicial ruling favors abortion

A federal judge has struck down a rule from the Trump administration requiring greater transparency for health insurance plans within the Affordable Care Act marketplaces that cover elective abortions. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Catherine Blake ruled against a regulation introduced by the Department of Health And Human Services to require insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act to issue a separate bill and collect a separate payment for coverage of elective abortion. Critics, however, argued that Obama-era enforcement regulations were so permissive as to render the rules meaningless, allowing health insurers to collect an abortion surcharge without separately identifying it on monthly invoices or collecting it separately. A government accountability office report in 2014 found that many insurers were ignoring section's requirements.

Satanic Temple threatens Mississippi

A Satanic Temple in Mississippi sent a letter warning that they will sue if the new state flag includes the phrase “In God We Trust,” saying that it is an “exclusionary religious phrase.” The state of Mississippi voted to retire their current state flag, which has included an image of the Confederate battle flag for 120 years, on June 28. When Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves signed it into law, the law stated that the new flag could not have any images or references to the Confederacy and must include the national phrase “In God We Trust.” Mississippi voters will have the opportunity to vote for the new flag’s design this November.

In today's News:

Lutheran church leader called home

The Rev. Dr. David Rakotonirina, president of the Malagasy Lutheran Church, passed on to glory suddenly on July 11, after a brief stay in hospital. A funeral service was held the following day. Because of the covid-19 pandemic, a funeral open to the public was not possible, but the service was streamed online. During his presidency, the Malagasy Lutheran Church pursued greater relationship with confessional Lutherans worldwide. In May 2018, the church voted to pursue altar and pulpit fellowship with The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Later the same year, the Malagasy Lutheran Church was accepted into full membership of the International Lutheran Council on September 26, 2018, during the ILC's world conference meeting in Antwerp, Belgium.

Islamic Turkey is criticized

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom decries the decision of Turkey’s Council of State, the country’s highest administrative court, to permit the conversion of the historic Hagia Sophia from its current status as a museum back into a mosque. Built in the sixth century, the Hagia Sophia served as a Greek Orthodox cathedral for nearly 1,000 years before Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II converted it into a mosque following the conquest of Constantinople in 1453. It became a museum in 1935, following the founding of the Republic of Turkey. In its 2020 annual report, USCIRF recommended that the State Department place Turkey on its special watch list for engaging in or tolerating severe religious freedom violations. The present Hagia Sophia was completed in 537, and it remains standing today. The first religious services in Hagia Sophia were held on December 27, 537.

'No Religious Services' order is challenged

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron filed another amicus brief at the federal court of appeals continuing to support Liberty Counsel’s lawsuit on behalf of Maryville Baptist Church against Gov. Andy Beshear’s “no religious services” orders on churches. The federal court of appeals already issued two 3-0 decisions in favor of the church regarding parking-lot and in-person services. The church is continuing the case to obtain a permanent injunction against Beshear to prevent him from returning to the prior orders, which he clearly wants to do based on his arguments before the courts.

A Florida abortion center is under investigation

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has called for an investigation of an abortion center that provided an abortion to a 15-year-old girl who became pregnant in the course of being repeatedly assaulted and filmed in videos that were eventually uploaded to pornhub. The girl’s trafficker took the girl for an abortion in an attempt to cover up his crimes. Moody now wants to know if the abortion center failed to report “abuse or neglect” of the minor and if such failure did “enable the further exploitation of the victim in this case.” If the abortion center had followed Florida's parental notice of abortion act, the girl could have been rescued from her trafficker earlier.

In today's News:

Religious liberty wins in the Navy

The United States Navy has revised its policy prohibiting active service members from attending in-person religious services. Those who disobeyed and attended church services had risked court-martial. The move is seen as an important victory on behalf of religious liberty by Navy personnel affected by the previously enacted ban, and by those who fought on their behalf. The change comes just days after First Liberty Institute sent a letter on behalf of active duty officer Daniel Schultz and several other service members affected by the order, asking the U.S. Navy to grant an accommodation so that he could attend indoor religious services. On June 24, the Navy issued an order banning troops from attending indoor religious services, although other activities such as using mass transit, hosting social gatherings of any size, and participation in protests were all permitted. The order specifically stated that “service members are prohibited from visiting, patronizing, or engaging in ... indoor religious services.”

Planned Parenthood gets a new neighbor

The largest Planned Parenthood facility in Texas has a new neighbor in the form of a pro-life pregnancy center that will provide life-saving support and alternatives to the deaths taking place across the street. The Prestonwood Pregnancy Center has moved to a new location in southwest Dallas, where it will offer free sonograms, ultrasounds, pregnancy tests, medical referrals, childbirth classes, and pregnancy counseling free of charge, Fox News reported. Its new location is directly across the street from Planned Parenthood’s largest abortion center in the state. Prestonwood currently has two permanent locations in Texas as well as several mobile clinics that offer pregnancy tests, sonograms, and referrals for further care. The new clinic says that since opening there is already a 50 percent increase in the number of women it has seen, 90 percent of whom ultimately decided to choose life – indicating that the location’s proximity to planned parenthood has made a significant difference in the number of babies and women saved.

Partial win for pro-life in Indiana

A federal judge upheld part of an Indiana pro-life law Wednesday requiring annual inspections of abortion facilities, a move that will protect both unborn babies and mothers. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Richard Young was only a partial victory for the pro-life cause. He did permanently strike down part of the law that requires abortion facilities to report to the state when patients suffer abortion complications. Passed in 2018, the Indiana law requires annual inspections of abortion facilities and increases reporting requirements when patients experience complications from an abortion. It also includes language to help ensure abortion facilities are reporting suspected abuse, whether by a partner, parent or human trafficker. Planned Parenthood challenged both the reporting and annual inspection requirements in a lawsuit soon afterward, alleging that even the annual inspections are unfair.

In today's News:

Twin wins for religious liberty

Religious freedom scored two victories today at The U.S. Supreme Court. In one ruling, government cannot interfere with a religious school’s judgement on who should or should not teach religion classes, according to a 7-2 ruling handed down by the United States Supreme Court. The case concerned two Catholic schools right to select educators who reflect their understanding of their faith, free from government interference. The religious liberty legal firm Becket Law is represented the schools that are facing lawsuits from two teachers fired for unsatisfactory performance. Becket argued that the schools’ hiring and firing decisions fall under a “ministerial exemption,” meaning religious institutions have the right to decide whom they want imparting the faith to others, free from government interference — even when the employees in question, in this case teachers, are not “ministers” in the strictest sense.

Little Sisters of the Poor win

The second win was also a 7-2 ruling, this decision siding with the Little Sisters of the Poor and their bid to stop being forced to distribute abortion-inducing and contraceptive drugs to their employees. The Obama administration had first mandated that employers subsidize the provision of contraceptives, including abortion-inducing drugs, to their employees under the auspices of the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare. The Little Sisters of the Poor, a Catholic institution that provides support for the elderly poor, refused to comply, as did other religious employers, sparking years of litigation.

Millions of PPP dollars to abortion provider

On Monday, the Small Business Administration released the names of more than 650,000 companies that received emergency small business aid due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Among them are 43 Planned Parenthood affiliates. Each of these affiliates received at least $150,000 with 16 getting between $1-2 million, 16 getting between $2-5 million, three receiving $5-10 million, and eight receiving $350,000-$1 million. In total, Planned Parenthood received between $65.8 million and $135 million, according to Life Site News. In addition, other pro-abortion organizations received PPP loans as well, including the National Network Of Abortion Providers ($350,000-$1 million), National Abortion Federation ($350,000-$1 million), and NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation ($350 – $1 million). Independently owned abortion businesses also received loan money. The loans were given out as part of the $2.2 trillion cares act paycheck protection program. Companies that received funds were required to use the money to pay their employees while the businesses were closed down. To qualify, companies had to employ fewer than 500 people. Despite this, multiple private equity-backed businesses received loans, which, if used properly, do not have to be repaid.