KFUO Radio News Break

In today's News:

'Chapel Talks for LCMS Schools' is released

LCMS School Ministry has released this year’s "Chapel Talks for Lutheran Schools," an annual resource provided for Lutheran schools to use as an outline for weekly school chapel. Under the theme “Sent To Serve,” the 2020–21 “Chapel Talks” contains 43 devotions — one for each week of the school year — plus services for the beginning and ending of the school year and for Christmas. Each week’s devotion uses a Scripture reading corresponding to the three-year lectionary to explore the theme of service — both Christ’s service to the world and Christians’ service to others. Lutheran school workers are encouraged to provide “side dishes” to go along with the devotions. The devotions may also be adapted for different age groups and local contexts. Hymn selections from both Lutheran Service Book and All God’s People Sing are provided for each week.

Illinois is tracking church goers

The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals’ ruling on the case of the two Illinois Romanian churches included a statement about “contact tracing” to determine “how dangerous religious services are” compared to other “similar activities.” The court stated: “perhaps with more time — and more data from contact tracing —Illinois could figure out just how dangerous religious services are compared with warehouses and similar activities”. Gov. J.B. Pritzker previously announced the launch of Illinois’ statewide contact tracing program, Illinois contact tracing collaborative, a “locally-driven approach to scale up contact tracing in Illinois” for covid-19 cases as part of his restore Illinois program. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the contact tracing program consists of tracers interviewing people who have newly tested positive about whom they had significant contact with in the past 48 hours. Those people, often family, friends or coworkers, are then contacted and encouraged to stay home and practice social distancing for 14 days or get tested. Pritzker called contact tracing “arguably our most sustainable tool” in further slowing new covid-19 cases and lifting social and economic restrictions. 

Tennessee passes a 'heartbeat bill'

Tennessee lawmakers passed one of the tightest abortion restrictions in the country on Friday, banning the procedure once a fetal heartbeat is detected at around six weeks, which is often before a woman realizes she is pregnant. The “heartbeat” bill follows a wave of similar strict pro-life measures passed by Republican-majority legislatures in an effort to prompt the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case granting a woman’s constitutional right to abortion. In the last two years, federal judges have struck down “fetal heartbeat” laws banning abortion after six weeks in several states on the grounds that they were unconstitutional. The American Civil Liberties Union, the Center for Reproductive Rights and Planned Parenthood filed a joint lawsuit in federal court on Friday challenging the bill.

In today's News:

Apply now for deaconess studies program

A new distance deaconess studies program will launch in the spring 2021 semester at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. This program will allow students to become certified to serve as commissioned deaconesses in the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. The four-year program will prepare women to share the Gospel through works of mercy, spiritual care and teaching the Christian faith. Students who complete the program will be eligible for placement as commissioned deaconesses in the LCMS. The seminary is currently accepting applications for enrollment in the spring 2021 semester; the application deadline is Aug. 31.

Democrats move to repeal religious protections

Last Monday, the Supreme Court Ruled 6–3 that the 1964 Civil Rights Act’s prohibition on sex discrimination in employment also prohibits such discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and “transgender status.” In his dissent, Justice Samuel Alito warned that the decision presents clear threats to religious liberty, while Justice Neil Gorsuch countered in his majority opinion that there are still a variety of legal protections for religious Americans, including the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. While it’s unknown what religious exemptions the Supreme Court “might” actually provide in cases involving claims of discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation, Congressional Democrats made it clear that they don’t want to leave anything to chance, pushing forward with a bill that would explicitly strip religious Americans of the ability to defend themselves under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in future employment-discrimination lawsuits.

Illinois Dioceses join Supreme Court case

A Philadelphia law that purports to prevent discrimination actually harms children through religious discrimination, according to an a friend of the court brief filed with the United States Supreme Court by the Thomas More Society. Representing Catholic Charities from two Illinois Dioceses of the Roman Catholic Church, the brief, filed June 3, in Sharonell Fulton. V. City of Philadelphia, supports Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese Of Philadelphia, along with foster parents Sharonell Fulton and Toni Lynn Simms-Busch. The Thomas More Society filing speaks to Philadelphia’s alleged First Amendment violation in requiring a religious agency to make statements and perform actions that contradict its religious beliefs in order to participate in the foster care system. Having experienced in Illinois what happened in Philadelphia, Catholic Charities of the Diocese Of Springfield in Illinois and Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Joliet, are asking the high court to side with their Pennsylvania counterparts and the foster parents suing for their religious rights. The amici brief notes that Illinois presented no evidence that same-sex couples were not readily able to find assessment and qualification services from over 60 department of children and family services offices and over 50 alternative foster care agencies, stating, “the state’s exclusion of faith-based foster care providers was thus a solution in search of a problem and harmed Illinois children without any countervailing benefit.”

In today's News:

Congressional Democrats support transgender athletes

Twenty-eight Congressional Democrats signed a letter Wednesday condemning the Department of Education for ruling that public schools that allow biological males who identify as transgender to play girls sports are violating Title IX Civil Rights legislation. Democratic Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal joined 27 House Democrats in signing the letter, which charged that the Department’s order “discriminates against transgender youth” by restricting girls sports to biological females. The Education Department on May 15 issued a ruling stating that public schools that allow biological males into girls athletics are violating Title IX, which protects women’s access to education and athletics. The Department of Justice previously backed a lawsuit filed by high school girls in Connecticut who said the liberal state’s transgender policies violated their rights.

Blind woman banned from library

First Liberty Institute and William Wray Jr., An attorney at Adler Pollock & Sheehan P.C., yesterday filed a charge of discrimination with the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights against Westerly, Rhode Island’s Memorial and Library Association for banning a blind woman from Wilcox Park and Westerly Public Library in Westerly, Rhode Island. Park officials demanded that Gail Blair, who was 63-years old at the time and blind, stop having conversations with others in the public park about Jesus in which she would offer them a small copy of the Gospel of John. As a result, park officials banned Blair from their park and library. Park officials then called on the local police to issue a formal “trespass warning” to Blair, threatening to arrest her if she enters the park or library within a period of two years.

'Falling in love with Jesus'

Russell Wilson, the Seattle Seahawks quarterback who is the highest-paid player in the NFL, has sent out a series of tweets in recent days expressing his devotion to Jesus Christ. “Falling in love with Jesus was the best thing I've ever done,” Wilson said in a tweet sent out on Tuesday. In 2014, Wilson led the Seahawks to a 43-8 victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII.

Bill to ban discriminatory abortions

The Mississippi Senate has advanced a bill that will ban discriminatory abortions. The Life Equality Act, sponsored by Mississippi State Senator Jenifer Branning and endorsed by Chairman Brice Wiggins, Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and others, would ban abortions based on “a child’s race, sex, disability, or genetic makeup,” according to the Susan B. Anthony list. The bill passed by a vote of 33-11. The Life Equality Act passed the Mississippi House in March, but following the senate’s recent passage, the house and senate bill amendments must concur and will then head to Gov. Tate Reeves for his signature. Discrimination against the preborn occurs globally, especially against females in societies where women have been treated as “less than” for centuries—and even today. Race discrimination is also common. While African-Americans make up 12 percent of the U.S. population, black women account for 38 percent of reported abortions.

In today's News:

Senator blasts Supreme Court sex decision

In light of the recent Supreme Court decision prohibiting employment discrimination against homosexuals and transgenders, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri on Tuesday called for religious conservatives to “stand up and speak out.” Hawley declared that because of the SCOTUS’ decision, the conservative legal project has failed the project’s “core” - religious conservatives. Congress is “terrified” of being held accountable, he said.

Nickelodean celebrates homosexuality

Spongebob Squarepants and the network that runs the show, Nickelodeon, are promoting homosexuality for June, the designated "pride" month for LGBT Americans. Nickelodeon, which is owned by ViacomCBS, is a cable channel for children, aimed at kids age 2 to 17.

Americans support 'ministerial exception'

In a new survey of a nationally representative sample of American adults, respondents showed an intuitive understanding of and support for the First Amendment principles that protect a religious organization’s ability to determine its own religious mission and beliefs, including by selecting those who pass its faith to the next generation. The survey especially focused on this ability to pass on the faith to the next generation free from government interference, a protection often referred to as the “ministerial exception.” The survey, fielded in late April, found that more than two-thirds of respondents agreed that keeping the government out of a religious organization’s internal religious disputes is an important facet of a healthy separation of church and state. A majority of respondents also said that the religious organization should have the final say when a dispute arises over who can or cannot teach its beliefs to the next generation. In fact, more respondents chose this option than all other options combined.

Planned Parenthood attacks new pro-life law

Planned Parenthood, the billion-dollar abortion chain, is criticizing a new Iowa law that ensures abortion facilities give women the opportunity to see their unborn babies on an ultrasound and hear their baby’s heartbeat at least 24 hours prior to the abortion. In addition, Iowa requires abortion facilities to provide women with information about abortion risks and resources available for parenting and adoption, and to confirm in writing that women received it. The Iowa legislature passed the pro-life waiting period bill on Sunday, and already Planned Parenthood is considering a legal challenge. Informed consent laws help protect unborn babies from abortion, and the abortion industry knows it. Research indicates that when women see ultrasound images of their unborn babies, they are more likely to choose life. A 2017 study out of the University of California San Francisco also suggests that some women do change their minds about abortion as a result of informed consent laws. A majority of states require a waiting period prior to an abortion and 35 require informed consent counseling, which typically includes facts about an unborn baby’s development, the risks of abortion and alternatives to abortion, according to the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute.

In today's News:

Concordia Irvine helps Concordia Portland employees

Concordia University, Irvine, Calif., and the LCMS Northwest District formed a partnership earlier this year to establish the Concordia University, Portland, Ore. (CUP), employee assistance fund. Over 100 donors, individuals and congregations have come together to raise over $55,000 to support CUP employees. The funds raised will go toward covering the medical premium expenses of CUP employees.

Illinois refuses to leave churches alone

In a key appeals court hearing concerning Illinois' restrictions on churches, the Office of the Governor refused to commit to leaving churches alone, opening the door for more draconian measures against houses of worship. The assistant attorney general for the state of Illinois was asked twice Friday by the judicial panel of the 7th Circuit whether Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker would never again restrict or ban church meetings. "No your honor, we are not," replied Pritzker's attorney.

Iowa considers pro-life legislation

Iowa legislators have passed informed consent legislation that would require a 24-hour waiting period for women seeking abortion. It would also require abortionists to give a woman the opportunity to see an ultrasound of her baby before the abortion and to give her information about adoption, the risks of having an abortion, and other community resources that are available to her. The amendment was passed Sunday morning, after legislators worked overnight. If signed into law by Gov. Kim Reynolds, the legislation will be an amendment to the state’s existing abortion laws.

Congressman says religious liberty mean discrimination

Democratic Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney Of New York Said Monday that religious liberty is a "bogus term" that merely serves as a "pretext for discrimination." Maloney was celebrating the the high-profile victory for LGBT rights at the Supreme Court, but he took time to criticize the author of the decision, Justice Neil Gorsuch, for having supported religious liberty. The Supreme Court Ruled Monday that Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits employment discrimination, protects lesbian, gay, and transgender workers. Gorsuch, who was appointed by President Donald Trump, delivered the opinion in a six-to-three decision. Maloney co-chairs the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus and has previously criticized defenders of religious liberty for attempting to "sanction discrimination."

An American commission calls for agreement with Pakistan

A U.S. Panel yesterday called for a binding commitment from Pakistan to improving its treatment of religious minorities, including by tackling abuse of blasphemy laws. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, which advises but does not set government policy, said the United States should seek written promises in return for Pakistan exiting the State Department's blacklist of violators.

In today's News:

Concordia Nebraska aids students

Concordia University, Nebraska, Seward, Neb., (CUNE)Is providing funds it has received from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to any student who has been impacted financially by the transition to online-only classes. Each student who submits qualified expenses is expected to receive up to $400 from CUNE’s $500,000 in higher education emergency relief funds. “We are thankful to have this opportunity to provide each of our students who were affected financially by this pandemic at least some funding to help them recover,” said Scott Jenkins, CUNE director of financial aid.

LGBTQ wins in Supreme Court

In a 6-3 ruling issued yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court said an employer who fires an individual merely for being gay or transgender violates Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The court found that "homosexuality and transgender status are inextricably bound up with sex. Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver, said: “The majority opinion departs from the clear language of Title VII and is no less than legislation from the bench. While the case did not include a religious freedom defense, the court expressly stated that religious employers will likely have a valid defense under the first amendment and the Federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act.”

Planned Parenthood endorses Joe Biden

Abortion business has officially endorsed Democrat Joe Biden for president. In a statement, Acting President and CEO Alexis Mcgill Johnson made the election out to be a life-and-death issue. “This election is a fight for our country’s very survival,” she said, while touting Biden’s extensive pro-abortion positions. “Joe Biden is the only candidate in this race who will stand up for our health and our rights.” In addition to endorsing Biden, Planned Parenthood has promised to triple its election spending this year, with $45 million earmarked towards battleground states.

Pro-life protestors targeted for arrest

A pair of pro-life New Yorkers arrested for sidewalk counseling outside of an abortion facility in alleged violation of state “social distancing guidelines” is calling out the hypocrisy of forbidding safe, peaceful pro-life demonstration while allowing the massive, crowded protests of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. On May 30, Bevelyn Beatty and Edmee Chavannes were outside Manhattan’s Margaret Sanger Center Planned Parenthood in hopes of persuading women entering the facility not to go through with abortion, Live Action reports. A security guard called the police, who ordered them to leave for “social distancing” reasons. When they didn’t, they were arrested for failure to disperse. BLM supports “reproductive justice that gives us autonomy over our bodies.” An estimated 40 percent of all U.S. Abortions are sought by black women, meaning that Black Lives Matter supports the annual elimination of more than 344,800 black lives every year.

In today's News:

Supreme Court rules 'sex' included sexual identity

The Supreme Court today issued its ruling on a historic case about LGBT employment discrimination, with the majority deciding that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, also applies to gay or transgender people. It was a 6-3 decision. One of the cases involved was Harris Funeral Home. This family-run funeral home fired one of its male employees when the employee changed gender to female. Although the court ruled that gender identity is sex as described by law and therefore may not face discrimination, it noted that Harris did not claim religious exemption in the firing. The court further noted that its ruling does not impact those with religious or moral objections.

Boston accused of religious discrimination

Liberty Counsel filed an opening brief to the First Circuit Court of Appeals on behalf of Boston resident Hal Shurtleff and his christian civic organization, Camp Constitution, arguing that the city of Boston violated the First Amendment by censoring a private flag in a public forum merely because it contained a cross. The city refers to its flagpole as a “public forum” and allows private organizations to temporarily raise their own flags on the flagpoles. Never has Boston censored any flag until the Christian flag. The city’s records show Boston has allowed at least 284 applications by private organizations on the city hall flagpoles without denial except for the Christian flag.

Religious protection extended to healthcare workers

The Department of Health and Human Services has just finalized a new rule that protects patients, aligns with current medical research, and complies with rulings from two federal courts. An older rule, imposed in 2016, had required doctors to perform gender transition procedures even if doing so would violate their religious beliefs and potentially harm their patients. That rule was struck down in two lawsuits brought by nine states, several religious organizations, and an association of more than 19,000 healthcare professionals. The new rule, finalized Friday, complies with those court decisions and ensures that sensitive medical decisions are kept between patients and their doctors without government interference.

Christian giving remains strong

When the U.S.economy shut down in March due to covid-19, financial predictions for churches and other ministries were dire. But a new survey suggests those predictions may have been overblown. Most evangelical churches and ministries saw giving remain steady or grow during the height of stay-at-home restrictions, according to a survey of more than 1,300 christian ministries released last week by the Evangelical Council For Financial Accountability. Among those surveyed, total cash giving in April 2020 equaled or surpassed April 2019 giving levels at 66 percent of churches and 59 percent of nonprofits. An even greater percentage of churches, 72 percent, and other Christian nonprofits, 61 percent, said their April 2020 cash gifts met or exceeded January 2020 levels, when the economy was booming and the stock market’s Dow Jones industrial average was approaching its all-time high.

In today's News:

Scholarships increase for Lutheran schools

The St. Louis-based Lutheran Elementary School Association (LESA) will award a record $505,000 for need-based scholarships to help fund a 49 percent increase in qualified applications due in part to the covid-19 crisis. The increased need and funding amount mean LESA will award scholarships to 624 students of all faiths this year during the first round of awards, compared to 371 in 2019-20 school year. The additional funds were made possible by endowment earnings, extraordinary gifts from LESA's donors, and the unprecedented success of its first-ever Cooking For Kids online auction, which raised a record $263,000 (a 25 percent increase over last year) to support scholarships and services for LESA member schools. In addition, a generous family redirected their $50,000 annual endowment gift to be applied exclusively to scholarships due to the pandemic. Since 2004, LESA has awarded more than $5.5 million in financial assistance through its building blocks scholarship fund to children of all faiths enrolled in Lutheran elementary schools. More than 8,300 students attend LESA-member Lutheran schools in the St. Louis metro area, making it the second largest private school system in the bi-state region.

Justice Department supports faith-based adoption

The U.S. Department of Justice filed an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in support of a Catholic foster care agency because it refuses to compromise its religious beliefs by placing children with same-sex couples. The Supreme Court agreed to review Sharonell Fulton, et al. V. City of Philadelphia and oral argument is expected in the fall. In March 2018, the city canceled its contracts with Catholic Social Services due to its religious beliefs about marriage, not long after the city issued an urgent call for 300 families to provide foster care to help care for the flood of children coming into the system due to the opioid crisis. The city then prohibited Catholic Social Services from placing any more children with the families it had already certified, in order to investigate whether the agency had violated the city’s fair practices ordinance, a policy that prohibits “discrimination” on the basis of “sexual orientation” or “gender identity.” There are currently 6,000 foster children in the city of Philadelphia and dozens of families licensed to foster through Catholic Social Services who are willing to take in children. However, as a result of the city’s actions, their beds have remained empty for two years.

Senator call for investigation of speech double standards

Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri called for an investigation into free speech double standards, saying that state officials have favored protests while targeting religious freedom. Hawley asked Attorney General William Barr and the Department of Justice in a Tuesday letter to launch a “full civil rights investigation” into violations of “free exercise and free speech rights of religious Americans.” The move came as lawmakers such as New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy refrained from telling protesters to stay home during the coronavirus pandemic.

In today's News:

New archbishop chosen for St. Louis

Pope Francis has named Bishop Mitchell Rozanski of Springfield, Mass., as the next Archbishop of St. Louis, Succeeding Robert J. Carlson, who last year reached the mandatory retirement age of 75 and submitted his resignation to the pope. Rozanski, who will be formally installed on Aug. 25, will become the 10th archbishop of St. Louis, leading the region’s largest faith group, with more than 505,000 Roman Catholics spread over 179 parishes.

Illinois taken to court

In the aftermath of covid-19-related religious liberty lawsuits, the Thomas More Society has now sued the state of Illinois to challenge a law requiring all health insurance policies sold in the state to provide coverage for elective chemical and surgical abortions, with no exemptions, even for churches. Yesterday, the Thomas More Society filed a complaint in the Sangamon County Circuit Court, charging the state with abuses of the Illinois Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act in relation to the abortion insurance mandate. The case was filed on behalf of a Baptist church association, a dental practice and its owner, and a freight company and its owner. The lawsuit charges that Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker; the Department of Insurance, and its director Robert Muriel; have refused to protect the plaintiffs’ sincerely held religious beliefs, which forbid them from funding and providing coverage for elective abortions.

Satanic Temple loses in court

States may inform women that life begins at conception before they go through with an abortion, a federal appeals court said this week. The case — a victory for pro-life advocates, unborn babies and mothers — involves a Missouri informed consent law and a challenge by “Judy Doe,” a member of the Satanic Temple. Doe claimed the law violated her religious freedom because she does not believe that “the life of each human being begins at conception.” That information is included in the Missouri informed consent booklet, which abortion facilities must offer women prior to an abortion. Yesterday, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed doe’s case and allowed the law to stand.

Churches defy a mayor's order

First Liberty Institute and the Massachusetts Family Institute yesterday sent a letter to Somerville, Massachusetts Mayor Joseph Curtatone informing him that several churches in the city will immediately resume in-person church services on Sunday. Curtatone arbitrarily requires all places of worship in somerville to limit attendance to no more than 10 congregants. On May 18, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker issued order 33 providing that churches and other places of worship “may open [their] premises to workers . . . And the public” so long as such places of worship followed specific health and safety guidelines and limit to 40 percent occupancy. Further, Baker’s order clearly states that “[n]o municipal or other local authority should adopt or enforce any workplace health or safety rule to address covid-19 that is in addition to, stricter than, or otherwise in conflict with any covid-19 workplace safety rule adopted in [order 33].”

In today's News:

Lutheran Church Charities responds to storm

Tropical Storm Cristobal moved up through the plains and into the Great Lakes region of northern Illinois and Indiana earlier this week. Multiple storms went through the region with a possible tornado, outbursts of 60-80 mph wind shear and strong thunderstorms. There have been many reports of downed trees, power lines, roof, and home damage in many communities. Lutheran Church Charities Director of Disaster Response Kathy O’day has and will continue to reach out to L.E.R.T. volunteers and churches and will begin assessments of damage to provide assistance to those affected while maintaining coronavirus safety precautions.

Undercover journalist moves to dismiss charge

Sandra Merritt filed a reply yesterday in support of the motion asking the San Francisco Superior Court To dismiss the charge regarding “false identification documents” brought against her by California Attorney General Xavier Becerra for her undercover journalism work in exposing Planned Parenthood’s trafficking in baby body parts. Judge Christopher Hite dismissed six of the original 15 felony charges, as he made factual findings that the recorded conversations were not confidential. Given those factual findings, Becerra cannot bring those dismissed charges again. But Becerra then filed an “information” on Dec. 13, 2019, adding an additional count to Merritt’s charges, even though the statute of limitations had expired for any new claims. Liberty Counsel represents Merritt and has shown that, to date, no other citizen journalist or journalism organization has ever been charged with a crime for undercover recordings made in the public interest. In fact, Merritt and her co-defendant, David Daleiden, the founder of the Center for Medical Progress, are the first undercover journalists to be criminally prosecuted in California’s history.

Casinos, yes; churches, no

Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) attorneys representing a Lyon County, Nevada, church filed a supplemental brief Thursday in their federal lawsuit against Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak and other state officials for allowing casinos and restaurants to operate at 50 percent capacity while continuing to restrict churches to gatherings of 50 or fewer people as part of the state’s reopening plans during the coronavirus pandemic. The church, Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley, is requesting court orders that would immediately halt enforcement of the church gathering ban while the lawsuit moves forward. ADF’s brief includes video footage of a recently reopened, crowded casino floor where the majority of patrons pictured are not wearing masks or practicing social distancing. Among the exceptions to Sisolak’s gathering restrictions, restaurants can resume on-site dining at 50 percent capacity and gyms and fitness centers can open at 50 percent capacity. But the governor has refused to allow churches and other places of worship to open their doors to 50 or more people under any circumstance. Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley wishes to resume in-person worship services that would amount to less than 50 percent of its building’s capacity and has developed comprehensive social distancing and health and safety protocols to govern those services. Despite these health and safety measures, however, the governor’s church gathering ban threatens the church with criminal and civil penalties.