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WEEKLY NEWS SUMMARY - JULY 3, 2024
In this week's Intersect, read about:
72% of Voters Say Biden Is Not Fit for Office
Almost three-quarters of American voters say that President Joe Biden is not mentally fit to be commander-in-chief, according to a stunning new poll released Sunday. The CBS News/YouGov survey was conducted in the days following the first presidential debate last week, which both Republican and Democratic observers agreed was disastrous for Biden as he often appeared confused, mumbled hoarsely and incoherently, and made nonsensical and false statements. read more at The Washington Stand
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- How much will the president’s condition affect the outcome of the election? It’s hard to say. According to an article in The Federalist by Shawn Fleetwood, “Candidates and their policy platforms are no longer the main factors in predicting the outcome of any given race.” Instead, the main factor is an effective get-out-the-vote effort. That’s why My Faith Votes, who was mentioned in the article, seeks to activate 1.2 million Christians to vote across seven states during this election: Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Georgia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.
- We don’t want Christians just to vote; we want biblically minded voters. The issues brought up in the presidential debate were overshadowed by the shock at Biden’s poor performance. But here are five takeaways on which there should be no debate:
- "Christians cannot support the murder of innocent life. (Luke 18:20)
- It is immoral not to restrain evil coming through our southern border. (Rom. 13:1-7)
- The short-term and long-term welfare of the nation both matter. Our nation cannot stand under a $35T debt burden and growing. (Jer. 29:7)
- We need leaders who will refuse to call evil good and good evil (Is. 5:20)
- There is no man in whom we can place our trust to save our nation. But we will vote, pray, and trust in the sovereignty of a good God who works all things for the good of those who love Him. (Rom. 8:28)
- No matter who is on the ballot, core issues are still at stake. If we don’t show up to vote, the secular world will. As Christians, our duty is rather straightforward, even when the political process feels chaotic: think biblically about the issues, pray for wisdom, and vote for candidates—up and down the ballot—who will lessen evil.
PRAY.
Heavenly Father, help us to express our love for You, Your principles, and our neighbors through our vote. Help us to not grow weary of doing good in every opportunity You give us. Thank You for the freedom You’ve given us to serve one another. (Galatians 5:13; 6:9-10)
ACT.
Did you know? There are over 90 million Christian voters in America, and one-third of Christians don’t regularly make it to the polls in presidential elections. My Faith Votes is on a mission to engage voters and encourage them to vote in alignment with biblical beliefs. Will you take our pledge to vote according to biblical values in the 2024 election?
Justices Rule Trump Has Some Immunity from Prosecution
“In a historic decision, a divided Supreme Court on Monday ruled that former presidents can never be prosecuted for actions relating to the core powers of their office, and that there is at least a presumption that they have immunity for their official acts more broadly. The decision left open the possibility that the charges brought against former President Donald Trump by Special Counsel Jack Smith – alleging that Trump conspired to overturn the results of the 2020 election – can still go forward to the extent that the charges are based on his private conduct, rather than his official acts.” read more at SCOTUSblog
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- “This case poses a question of lasting significance: When may a former President be prosecuted for official acts taken during his Presidency?” the 6-3 decision states. “Enduring separation of powers principles guide our decision in this case. The President enjoys no immunity for his unofficial acts, and not everything the President does is official. The President is not above the law. But under our system of separated powers, the President may not be prosecuted for exercising his core constitutional powers, and he is entitled to at least presumptive immunity from prosecution for his official acts. That immunity applies equally to all occupants of the Oval Office.”
- Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s dissenting opinion claimed, "In every use of official power, the President is now a king above the law,” based on the decision. President Biden gave a short address in which he agreed with Sotomayor, stating, “[T]oday’s decision almost certainly means that there are virtually no limits on what a president can do.” Those do not seem to be accurate characterizations at all. As Christopher Devine points out, “It’s not total immunity for everything under the sun that a president can do.” For the most part, it’s now up to the lower courts that are hearing Trump’s cases to decide which actions were official or unofficial, and therefore whether they can be prosecuted.
- James Madison in Federalist 51 wrote, “[T]he great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.” We see this issue here. How can we ensure the president doesn’t abuse his executive authority while making sure he is not discouraged by the weaponization of prosecutorial authority against him? In biblical terms, how do we hold government to its God-given standards outlined in Romans 13? Our founders provided two main ways: the separation of powers with checks and balances in the Constitution, and accountability through elections.
PRAY.
Heavenly Father, until Jesus returns to reign, You’ve ordained governments for order, justice, and righteousness. Help us to exercise wisdom in electing men and women who, although fallen, are still used by You for Your glory.
ACT.
People of faith need to vote and participate in the process of government. But how can we do that if we don’t understand our government’s structure? Download a free copy of the Constitution, and read it as we celebrate our nation’s independence this week!
Oklahoma Mandates Bible Teaching at Public Schools
“The Oklahoma Department of Education has announced its intention to mandate that public schools in the state include Bibles in every classroom and teach about its historical significance as supporters of separation of church and state signal their intentions to fight back. Oklahoma State Superintendent of Instruction Ryan Walters said Thursday that he and his staff came to the conclusion based on the academic standards governing the state. ‘The Bible is a necessary historical document to teach our kids about the history of this country to have a complete understanding of Western civilization, to have an understanding of the basis of our legal system,’ he said during the State Board of Education Regular Meeting.” read more at The Christian Post
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- Effective immediately, Oklahoma schools are required to incorporate the Bible as part of the curricula in grades five through 12, according to a memo Superintendent Walters sent to all school districts. Schools are instructed to refer to the Bible and the Ten Commandments for their “substantial influence on our nation’s founders and the foundational principles of our Constitution.” Walter’s decision comes after the state’s Supreme Court blocked an effort to establish the first publicly funded religious charter school in the U.S.
- Of course, there is already pushback. “Public schools are not Sunday schools,” Rachel Laser, the president of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, told The New York Times. “Public schools may teach about religion, but they may not preach any religion.” Walters explained, “We’re not pushing a certain faith on anyone, but we’re accurately teaching history.” He said he’s prepared to defend against likely lawsuits that claim he crossed the line separating church and state. “I feel very competent in our legal standing.”
- Meanwhile, in Tennessee, the state began a month-long call to prayer, instituted by the Governor. Earlier this year, the TN Governor signed a historic bill into law calling for a month of prayer for the United States and recognition of God, starting July 1st. The stated purpose of the bill, which overwhelmingly passed the state legislature, is “to seek God’s hand of mercy healing on Tennessee.” California Pastor Jack Hibbs called on American pastors and Churches from every state to “be Tennesseans” for the month of July. I think it’s a wonderful idea. Our nation needs prayer!
PRAY.
The Tennessee bill noted a proclamation from the second president of the United States, John Adams, in 1799. May it be our prayer today as well.
ACT.
In honor of our nation’s birthday this week, we’re giving away 4 “Pray for America” t-shirts to the first four people who reply to this email with your name and address! If you miss out, our shop is always open here.
SCOTUS Curbs Power of Federal Agencies, Scrapping 40-Year-Old Precedent
“The Supreme Court on Friday overturned the long-standing ‘Chevron’ doctrine, curbing the power of federal agencies by empowering federal judges to question more of their policy decisions. In 1984, the Supreme Court ruled in Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council that judges should defer to the reasonable interpretations of federal agencies when federal laws are ambiguous. According to The New York Times, Chevron has been cited in 70 Supreme Court decisions and 17,000 lower court decisions.” read more at All Sides
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- My Faith Votes signed on to an amicus brief asking the Court to overturn the Chevron case, which it did, 6-3. The ruling is a monumental moment for preserving freedom, prosperity, and Constitutional limited government for future generations. In 1984, in the Chevron decision, the Supreme Court decided that regulatory agencies were the "experts" in their field, and the courts should just defer to their "interpretation" of the law. It was called Chevron Deference (not related to the gas stations), and it put bureaucrats in charge. Rep Michael Guest (R-MS) said of the ruling, “Yes. It will put more work on Congress, but that’s what the Founding Fathers intended. They intended Congress to make these decisions and the executive branch to then enforce them. And over the years, what we’ve seen is Congress has failed to fulfill their obligations.”
- SCOTUS released a flurry of rulings before they left for a break until October 7. In a 6-3 ideological-line vote, conservative justices upheld an Oregon city’s right to fine people who are homeless for camping on public property. The liberal justices dissented, saying, “sleep is a biological necessity, not a crime.” In another 6-3 ruling, SCOTUS said federal prosecutors improperly relied on an obstruction law used in charging over 300 people involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, storming of the US Capitol. The decision could affect roughly 150 people, who have pleaded guilty or received convictions under the statute. And SCOTUS sent two more cases back to lower courts that will impact abortion in Idaho and social media moderation.
- These rulings should remind Christians across the country to do two simple things: Pray. Faithfully pray for our Supreme Court Justices to have God’s wisdom and to uphold the Constitution that has given us the longest-running constitutional republic in the history of the world. Vote. Supreme Court appointments are critical, and the next President of the United States could appoint a justice to the bench. If Christians want to see religious freedom preserved, human life protected, and justice upheld, we must vote and encourage our friends and family to do the same.
PRAY.
Pray for the rule of law and our Constitution to continue to be upheld. “Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law strive against them. Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD understand it completely.” (Proverbs 28:4-5)
ACT.
Standing at a towering 81 feet tall and made of solid granite, the little-known National Monument to the Forefathers in Plymouth, Massachusetts, holds the key to America’s freedom and success. Inspired by Kirk Cameron’s Monumental documentary, we created a short clip video series and accompanying digital e-book for you to explore the monument up close! By studying the monument, much can be learned by young and old alike about the principles and virtues of the Pilgrim settlers. These principles and virtues were ultimately carried over into the writing of America’s Declaration of Independence and Constitution. Watch and download the free e-book here and be sure to share with others.
My Faith Votes— is a ministry that motivates, equips, and activates Christians in America to vote in every election, transforming our communities and influencing our nation with biblical truth. An estimated 25 million Christians who are registered to vote, fail to vote in presidential elections. My Faith Votes is on a mission to change this statistic by helping Christians act on their faith and vote in every election. When we pray unceasingly for our nation, think biblically about the issues, and vote consistently in every election the impact of Christians taking action from the local to the state and federal level will be unprecedented.
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