Thousands of babies saved through abortion pill reversal

The Abortion Pill Rescue Network has saved 6,000 babies since its founding in 2008. The network has a 24/7 hotline that connects women in 93 countries with providers who can help reverse their chemical abortions. READ

Biden gives medal to Planned Parenthood boss

President Joe Biden this week awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Cecile Richards, the former president of Planned Parenthood. During her 12-year tenure at Planned Parenthood, Richards oversaw nearly four million abortions. READ

Religious Freedom Victory for Iowa Church Becomes Final

 

MARION, IA – An Iowa administrative law judge’s recent decision to dismiss a “frivolous” petition and keep Calvary Chapel Iowa’s tax-exempt status intact has become final and is the first legal decision rendered under Iowa’s newly enacted Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). In September 2024, the judge rejected a petition from a group of Iowa taxpayers to revoke the church’s tax-exempt status on two properties – the pastor’s recently constructed home and a portion of the church’s campus in Cedar Rapids, Iowa used for a Christian daycare and school. The judge cited that the state’s RFRA protected the church from having to prove its tax exemption entitlements to individuals not involved in enforcing state tax law. The group did not appeal the RFRA-based decision within a mandated 30-day timeline, which now binds the judge’s ruling to keep the church’s exemptions in place as a “final agency decision.” Enacted in April 2024, Iowa’s RFRA provides robust legal protections for the Free Exercise of Religion, especially from spurious actions from public or private individuals or organizations that would ultimately burden religious practices. Administrative Law Judge Jonathan Gallagher stated in the decision that “this type of litigation imposes a substantial burden on the exercise of religion” especially when the state’s Department of Revenue already enforces tax laws. Liberty Counsel, in partnership with the Kirkwood Institute, defended Calvary Chapel Iowa securing the judge’s dismissal of the petition. In October 2023, the church’s pastor spoke out publicly against the sexualization of children, held a book reading of “Jesus and My Gender” in response to drag queen story time, and endorsed school board candidates on his personal social media. Then in November, several Iowa taxpayers petitioned against the church’s tax exemptions. One of the petitioners, Dustin Brooks, of Marion, serves on a local diversity and equity committee and is committee chairman for a school board candidate the pastor did not support. Brooks essentially stated that the church getting involved in politics while not paying taxes had “lit [his] fire a little bit.” The retaliatory and baseless petition sought to revoke the church’s property tax exemptions by arguing these properties were not being used “solely” for religious purposes because the pastor’s family are “non-ecclesiastical personnel” residing in the home and due to the daycare taking in revenue. Liberty Counsel and the Kirkwood Institute argued in the motion to dismiss brief that these claims were “frivolous” since the state had already approved the exemptions and that the church having to defend against this type of “spurious” challenge burdens the Free Exercise of Religion. A church’s tax exemptions are not nullified because pastors have families who live with them or because Christian daycares have employees and operating costs. Judge Gallagher wrote, “To hold otherwise would be to allow the unaccountable political opponents of a church the option to use the power of the State to target and/or retaliate against the religious organization for the organization’s activities, thereby creating a chilling effect not only on that specific religious group but also all other similarly oriented religious organizations. This is precisely the type of religious interference that RFRA was designed to prevent, and until the judiciary provides different guidance on the scope of RFRA, this case must be dismissed.” Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, “Religious freedom laws robustly protect churches and pastors against frivolous challenges from those who politically disagree with them. The power to tax is not intended to empower censorship. This first application of Iowa’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act shows that churches and pastors can focus on their mission without fear from frivolous claims, which could be financially costly to any petitioner for attorney’s fees and costs.”

This week on Faith On Trial

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Catholic fired for refusing covid shot wins millions in court

“A Michigan woman who was fired after refusing the COVID-19 vaccine because of her ‘sincerely held’ Catholic beliefs has just won a massive lawsuit,” The Blaze reports. Lisa Domski was awarded “nearly $13 million after she was terminated from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan on account of her refusal to take the shots.” READ

Catholics donate generously for hurricane victims

The Diocese of Raleigh has donated more than $489,000 to support relief efforts in the Diocese of Charlotte following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. Russell Elmayan, chief financial officer and chief administrative officer for the Diocese of Raleigh, explained that the response was fueled by the shared bonds of North Carolinians who have faced similar disasters.  READ

Pennsylvania Education Department Rescinds “Woke” Curriculum Standards in Lawsuit Settlement

 Settlement Agreement Marks Clear Victory for Pennsylvania Educators, Families, and School Districts

 Pittsburgh -- As part of a November 13, 2024, settlement agreement secured by Thomas More Society attorneys in a lawsuit filed on behalf of Pennsylvania school districts, educators, and families, against the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the state’s education department has agreed to rescind its “Culturally-Relevant and Sustaining Education Program Framework Guidelines,” or CR-SE. Under the terms of the agreement, all public schools, school districts, charter schools, and other school entities across the state will no longer be required to implement or comply with the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s previously issued CR-SE guidelines.

 

First issued in November 2022, Pennsylvania’s CR-SE guidelines sought to mandate that educators affirm and impose on their students highly ideological beliefs about contentious social and political issues. This required  educators throughout Pennsylvania to make acknowledgments of the “biases [that] exist in the education system,” “microagressions,” and “unconscious biases,” among other ideologically tinted points. Examples of ideological standards in the CR-SE guidelines include mandates that educators:

 

·         “Believe and acknowledge that microaggressions are real and take steps to educate themselves about the subtle and obvious ways in which they are used to harm and invalidate the existence of others...”

·         “Disrupt harmful institutional practices, policies, and norms by advocating and engaging in efforts to rewrite policies, change practices, and raise awareness...”

·         “Engage in critical and difficult conversations with others to deepen their awareness of their own conscious/unconscious biases, stereotypes, and prejudices...”

·         “Design learning experiences and spaces for learners to identify and question economic, political, and social power structures in the school, community, nation, and world.”

 

Thomas More Society attorneys originally filed suit in April 2023 on behalf of three public school districts and a group of parents and students, arguing that the guidelines violated the First Amendment and were issued in violation of state regulatory law.

 

Thomas Breth, Thomas More Society Special Counsel, reacted: “We are incredibly pleased with this settlement agreement, which forces the Pennsylvania Department of Education to rescind the state’s ‘Culturally-Relevant and Sustaining Education’ guidelines—securing an important victory for Pennsylvania parents, students, and teachers. Our agreement is a triumph against the Department’s blatantly ideological and illegal attempt to inject ‘woke’ activism into school curricula across Pennsylvania, which demanded educators affirm their belief in these ideological tenets and then impose the same upon their students.”

Peter Breen, Thomas More Society Executive Vice President & Head of Litigation, stated: “Educational standards should help students learn how to think, not what they must believe. This victory against Pennsylvania’s ‘woke’ curriculum mandate restores that opportunity for Pennsylvania families and teachers. Pennsylvania’s CR-SE curriculum guidelines commanded to students what they must believe and unconstitutionally compelled teachers to pledge loyalty to an ideological program.”

Read the Mediated Settlement Agreement, issued November 13, 2024, in Laurel School District, et al. v. Pennsylvania Department of Education, et al., submitted by Thomas More Society attorneys in the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania, here.

About Thomas More Society

Thomas More Society is a national not-for-profit law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, and freedom. Headquartered in Chicago and with offices across the country, Thomas More Society fosters support for these causes by providing high quality pro bono legal services from local trial courts all the way up to the United States Supreme Court. For more information, please visit thomasmoresociety.org.

Report from the Iowa Catholic Conference

Republicans will return next year to the Iowa Capitol with an increased number of seats. In the Senate, Republicans will have 35 members, an increase of one, compared to 15 for the Democrats. In the House, it’s looking like Republicans will have 67 seats, a gain of three, with 33 Democratic members. 

The 91st session of the General Assembly will begin on Jan. 13, 2025. You can click here for a comprehensive resource about how the legislature functions.

State ballot initiatives of interest

Ballot measures extending the right to legal abortion passed in Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, New York, and Nevada. In Florida, a measure extending legal abortion to 24 weeks failed to meet the state’s 60% threshold. Pro-abortion rights measures were defeated in South Dakota and Nebraska.

On the issue of school choice, it appears that Nebraskans voted to end its state-funded private school student scholarship program, and school choice initiatives lost in Kentucky and Colorado.

Arizona voters approved a ballot measure that is similar to Iowa’s new “illegal re-entry” immigration law. While the Iowa law is not currently in effect, a federal circuit court considering its constitutionality is expected to render a decision during the next few months.

West Virginia passed a constitutional amendment banning assisted suicide.

The Constitution of Iowa does not provide for citizen ballot initiatives.

U.S. bishops’ president calls for prayers and unity following the presidential election

Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has issued a statement following the results of the presidential election. 

Archbishop Broglio’s statement follows:

“In the United States, we are fortunate to live in a democracy and yesterday Americans went to the polls to choose who should lead our country as the next President of the United States. I congratulate President-elect Trump, as well as the national, state and local officials who campaigned to represent the people. Now, we move from campaigning to governing. We rejoice in our ability to transition peacefully from one government to the next.

“The Catholic Church is not aligned with any political party, and neither is the bishops’ conference. No matter who occupies the White House or holds the majority on Capitol Hill, the Church’s teachings remain unchanged, and we bishops look forward to working with the people’s elected representatives to advance the common good of all. As Christians, and as Americans, we have the duty to treat each other with charity, respect, and civility, even if we may disagree on how to carry out matters of public policy. As a Nation blessed with many gifts we must also be concerned for those outside our borders and eager to offer assistance to all.

“Let us pray for President-elect Trump, as well as all leaders in public life, that they may rise to meet the responsibilities entrusted to them as they serve our country and those whom they represent. Let us ask for the intercession of our Blessed Mother, the patroness of our nation, that she guide to uphold the common good of all and promote the dignity of the human person, especially the most vulnerable among us, including the unborn, the poor, the stranger, the elderly and infirm, and migrants.”

COP 29 convenes

Consider the impact of climate change policies on the poor and vulnerable, said bishop chairmen who lead committees of the USCCB that address climate policy. The two bishops were joined by the president and CEO of Catholic Relief Services (CRS). In advance of the gathering of world leaders in Azerbaijan for the United Nations’ annual meeting on climate, COP29, Archbishop Borys Gudziak, Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, and Mr. Sean Callahan released a statement calling on delegates and policymakers attending the meeting to remember the poor and vulnerable in their deliberations.

The statement said, in part, “The poor and vulnerable suffer the brunt of intensifying disasters, which is why adopting effective adaptation investment strategies is a matter of justice. While resources and proven technologies to withstand many natural and man-made disasters already exist, sadly these are often a privilege for the wealthy.”

And finally,

Today we observe Veteran’s Day – thanks to all those who served!

Fired FEMA employee says higher-ups responsible

After being fired from FEMA for directing relief workers to avoid homes with Trump signs on them, former supervisor Marn’i Washington told an interviewer that higher-ups at FEMA were the source of that policy. Washington also suggested that the practice took place not only in Florida – as was widely reported – but also in the Carolinas.  READ

Left-leaning networks see ratings ‘nosedive’ after election

In the week since Trump won the election, CNN and MSNBC have seen their ratings plummet as both left-leaning cable news channels brace for possible future changes. On Tuesday, The Daily Mail reported that MSNBC’s post-election “nosedive” in ratings “comes as commentators and analysts continue to discuss the result - often with rants laced with ire toward the conservative.”  READ

Trump announces plan to reform public education

President-elect Trump has vowed to shepherd sweeping changes to public education during his second term, announcing an education policy plan that includes supporting school choice for all parents, allowing school prayer, and abolishing the controversial U.S. Department of Education.  READ

This week on Faith On Trial

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Media scrutinized over coverage of Trump’s Cheney remarks

A chorus of observers on Friday called out corporate media sources for attempting to construe as a threat of violence Trump’s criticism of former Rep. Liz Cheney’s, R-WY, interventionist foreign policy stance. Trump had suggested – and repeated later when asked to clarify – that “warhawks” like Cheney should be given a rifle and made to face the same battles into which they send young Americans.  READ

Trump promises tax breaks for homeschooling parents

Former President Donald Trump has promised homeschooling parents tax relief on their education costs, up to $10,000 per year per child. In a video posted on X, Trump stated, “When I am reelected, I will do everything I can to support parents who make the courageous choice of homeschool.”  READ

Martin Scorsese series on Catholic saints coming to TV

The first four episodes of a docudrama series detailing the lives of eight saints will be released in partnership with Fox Nation on November 17, providing a way to celebrate the month that begins with the Feast of All Saints. Titled “Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints,” the docuseries is hosted, narrated, and produced by the filmmaker himself.  READ