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WEEKLY NEWS SUMMARY - MARCH 20, 2024
UPCOMING PRIMARIES: LA and MO take place on March 23. For election and voting information, visit My Voter Hub and click on your state.
In this week's Intersect, read about:
US VP Harris Visits MN Abortion Clinic in Historic First
“U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday toured a health clinic that offers abortion services while she was in Minnesota, spotlighting growing restrictions on women's rights that Democrats believe will animate voters in November. The visit, believed to be the first of a sitting president or vice president to such a clinic, comes as President Joe Biden highlights abortion rights as a key issue ahead of the November presidential election.” read more at Reuters
THINK.
- A celebratory visit to an abortion clinic once would have been considered horrifying, tactless, and gruesome. It still should be. Consider the fact that abortions are performed up to 23 weeks and 5 days of gestation at the clinic she visited. Last year, Minnesota made abortion a “fundamental right” by law which has caused abortion and abortion tourism to dramatically increase. Sadly, abortions are also increasing in the US. There were more than 1 million abortions in 2023, the highest rate in more than a decade and a 10% jump from 2020.
- Democrats are doubling down. In 1975, 19 percent of Democrats said that abortion should be legal under any circumstance. Fast forward 17 years, Bill Clinton campaigned for president saying that abortions should be “safe, legal, and rare.” In 1994, the term “reproductive justice” was introduced to describe how women aren’t just entitled to a choice regarding abortion but also access to abortion. In 2015, people began to share stories of their abortions under the hashtag #ShoutYourAbortion. By 2023, 46 percent of Democrats say abortion should be legal under any circumstance.
- Vice President Harris made two notable statements during her visit to Minnesota. She said women in the country are undergoing "silent suffering" because of attacks on their health and "in this environment, these attacks against an individual's right to make decisions about their own body are outrageous and, in many instances, just plain old immoral." I agree… but it's the babies being murdered who are “undergoing silent suffering” (Proverbs 31:8) and their lives being attacked is “just plain old immoral” (Sixth Commandment). It’s deeply troubling and revealing that our second in command doesn’t see it that way.
PRAY.
Download this free prayer guide that gives you nine ways to pray for a culture of life.
ACT.
5 years ago this week, My Faith Votes partnered with the pro-life film, “Unplanned,” for its nationwide theatrical release. The film pulls back the curtain on the largest abortion provider in the nation and tells the powerful true story of Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood Director, who is now a leading advocate for life. My Faith Votes provides an on-screen prompt following the movie directing those seeking help or wanting to act. We still get responses, even 5 years later. If you haven’t seen “Unplanned”, you can watch it here.
Judge Tosses Some Trump Georgia Charges in Election Interference Case
“A Georgia judge on Wednesday dismissed some of former President Trump’s charges in the sweeping election interference case against him due to a lack of detail. Judge Scott McAfee tossed six charges total contained in the indictment, including three counts against Trump.” read more at The Hill
THINK.
- Former President Trump secured enough delegates to seal the Republican presidential nomination last week, which will be confirmed at the party convention in July. As we continue through this unprecedented election year, where do the former president’s cases stand? Here is a breakdown of his criminal trials, civil trials, and important upcoming dates.
- Commentary from the National Review notes a new buzzword we’re hearing more in politics: lawfare. “The lawfare campaign has been humming for a couple of years. The Supreme Court cases are a prime example. It’s only March, yet the justices have already had to intervene twice in 2024 electoral politics. It’s the dream of progressives: If they win the cases, the public is denied the right to elect leaders the Left opposes; if they lose the cases, they agitate to pack the Supreme Court and turn it into a super-legislature that imposes the progressive policy wish list.”
- Lawfare is using the legal system as a weapon against a political opponent. But its continued use on this scale makes it likely that respect for the law will decline, and dangerously so, among the American public. The legal system is already confusing but it’s critically important to understand as a voter. Voter participation in judicial elections is notoriously low. Research shows that roughly a quarter of those who vote for the President, the governor, members of Congress and state legislators don’t continue down the ballot to vote for judges.
PRAY.
Pray that judges would uphold the law without partiality. Pray that judges would not be swayed by persuasive arguments but look to the laws of our country in dispensing justice. Pray that God would have His hand upon our nation’s judges, particularly those who profess His name. And pray for God’s conviction upon the hearts of judges throughout our nation.
ACT.
We created a helpful guide called “A Christian Voter’s Guide to Understanding the American Justice Systems” so you can pray, think, and act on selecting judges as a voter. Download your free guide here.
Chuck Schumer Calls for New Elections in Israel, Criticizing Netanyahu's Leadership
“In the most significant criticism by a U.S. leader against the Israeli government since its war with Hamas began, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday called for new elections in Israel to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Schumer, the highest-ranking Jewish official in the U.S. ever, said in remarks on the Senate floor that ‘the Netanyahu coalition no longer fits the needs of Israel after Oct. 7.’” read more at NBC News
THINK.
- A repeated refrain was the desire for peace. In his 40-minute speech, Schumer claimed that the four major obstacles standing in the way of a two-state solution (which he believes will bring peace) are: Hamas and the Palestinians who support them, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, right-wing Israelis, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “Until they are removed from the equation,” he said, “there will never be peace in Israel and Gaza and the West Bank.” The next Israeli parliamentary elections are scheduled for October 2026, but if the war winds down before then, Schumer argued, “I believe that holding a new election…would give Israelis an opportunity to express their vision for the post-war future.”
- Majority Leader Mitch McConnell agreed with Schumer’s assessment of the first two obstacles but sharply disagreed with his call for new elections. “The primary “obstacles to peace” in Israel’s region are genocidal terrorists and corrupt PA [Palestinian Authority] leaders who repeatedly reject peace deals. Foreign observers who cannot keep this straight ought to refrain from interfering in the democracy of a sovereign ally,” he stated. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), called Schumer’s speech “inappropriate” saying, “It’s just plain wrong for an American leader to play such a divisive role in Israeli politics while our closest ally in the region is in an existential battle for its very survival.” Still others called it a dangerous anti-Israel diatribe. In an interview on Sunday, Prime Minister Netanyahu said Schumer’s statements were “wholly inappropriate.”
- In a fallen world, we should long for peace (Matthew 5:9), and mourn when civilians are killed, especially when they are used as human shields by terrorists. But we recognize that Israel is fighting for peace—to rid Gaza of the 30,000 Hamas fighters whose goal is to destroy the state of Israel. Augustine of Hippo, a major contributor to just war theory, once said, “[T]rue religion looks upon as peaceful those wars that are waged not for motives of aggrandizement, or cruelty, but with the object of securing peace, of punishing evildoers, and of uplifting the good.” (Romans 13:1-5, 1 Peter 2:14)
PRAY.
Pray for the Lord to hasten the day when Jesus returns and Revelation 21:1-4 is fulfilled. Until then, pray for wisdom for Israel’s government, for the hostages to be freed, and for noncombatants to be protected. And pray for people in both Israel and Gaza to seek the Lord and put their faith in Him as their Savior.
ACT.
Where can you find up-to-date news that covers events impacting Israel and the Middle East from an evangelical perspective? Our friend, Joel Rosenberg, gives helpful insights at All Israel News. Consider keeping informed so you know how to pray for Israel.
Nearly 30% Of Gen Z Women Identify As LGBT
“More than one in five Generation Z adults now identify as LGBT, new data shows, including nearly 30% of Gen Z women. About 22% of young adults who were aged 18 to 26 last year self-identify as LGBT, according to a poll released Wednesday by Gallup. This is higher than the nearly one in 10 millennials — those aged 27 to 42 — who identify as LGBT, and even higher than the 5% of Generation X, 2% of baby boomers, and 1% of the Silent Generation who identify as such.” read more at the Daily Wire
THINK.
- “Overall, each younger generation is about twice as likely as the generation that preceded it to identify as LGBTQ+,” Gallup reported. The survey also found that women are nearly twice as likely as men to identify as LGBTQ+. Women are also more likely than men to identify as transgender. In her book, “Irreversible Damage,” journalist Abigail Shrier proposed that many of these young women and girls are caught up in a social contagion where it’s “trendy” to identify as transgender.
- “These new numbers tell the beginning of a story—but they don’t tell the ending,” Katrina Trinko noted. “We may be witnessing a fundamental change in American life, or we may be witnessing young Americans who like to experiment sexually. Time will tell.” Right now, though, these numbers tell a concerning story of many people living in rebellion against their Creator. Through faith in Jesus Christ, however, their story can change: “And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:11)
- In encouraging news from across the ocean, children will no longer routinely be prescribed puberty blockers at gender identity clinics, National Health Service (NHS) England has confirmed. The NHS website now states that “there is not enough evidence of safety and clinical effectiveness” of puberty blockers for children and young people. The Health Minister said, "Ending the routine prescription of puberty blockers will help ensure that care is based on evidence, expert clinical opinion, and is in the best interests of the child." This is another point in favor of policies here in America that ban such irreversible practices on minors.
PRAY.
Heavenly Father, we pray that those who are chasing fulfillment in sexual rebellion will know Your truth. “For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures….But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:3-7)
ACT.
Have you watched My Faith Votes’ recent interview with David Closson on A Biblical Response to Gender? Here’s a two-minute clip you can watch and share, explaining what the Bible and science say versus what our culture tells us.
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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