National Day of Prayer – America’s Godly Heritage Endures

Tomorrow, Thursday, May 4 is National Day of Prayer in America; a day on which the people of the United States may “turn to God in prayer and meditation at churches, in groups, and as individuals.” (Public Law 105-225) Please join Advocates for Faith & Freedom and millions of Americans across the nation as we celebrate our religious liberties by recognizing our National Day of Prayer.

The acknowledgment of our Creator has always been a cornerstone in America’s sustained religious history. The United States of America was founded upon a tradition of faith and now, more than 200 years later, we still rely on God’s essential guidance.

In 1776, General George Washington recorded in his Orderly Book, “…The blessing and protection of Heaven are at all times necessary, but especially so in times of public distress and danger.  The General hopes and trusts, that every officer and man will endeavour to live and act as becomes a Christian soldier, defending the dearest rights and liberties of his country.”

The Supreme Court affirmed our religious roots in 1892 by declaring, “…no purpose of action against religion can be imputed to any legislation state or national, because this is a religious people.  This is historically true.  From the discovery of this continent to the present hour, there is a single voice making this affirmation…we find everywhere a clear recognition of the same truth….this is a Christian nation.”

Many Christians are unaware that they live in a nation in which a law requires our President proclaim a National Day of Prayer each year. In 1952, President Harry Truman, declaring that “the American people should spend one day a year praying or meditating on their faith,” signed a bill proclaiming the National Day of Prayer into law in the United States. President Reagan amended the law in 1988, designating the first Thursday of May each year as the National Day of Prayer. The National Prayer Committee was formed in the United States in 1972.

During George W. Bush’s presidency, the constitutionality of the National Day of Prayer was unsuccessfully challenged in court by the ever persistent Freedom From Religion Foundation after their first attempt was unanimously dismissed by a federal appellate court in April 2011.

It has recently been reported that President Trump is ready to sign a controversial religious liberty executive order, on tomorrow’s National Day of Prayer.  The “Religious Freedom Order” seeks to provide exemptions for religious people and organizations who object to same-sex marriage, premarital sex, abortion, contraception and trans-identity. As expected, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is already gearing up for a court battle.

In the face of this and other tremendous challenges, prayer is a mighty force for peace, justice, freedom, and a more hopeful future. Let us all solemnly pray with grateful hearts for our nation, for those who lead us, and for those who keep us safe.

Scripture tells us again and again that our earnest prayers are effective; that God responds in powerful ways. Daniel 9:19, says, “Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For your sake, my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.”

“I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving be made for all people-for kings and all those in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” I Timothy 2:1-2

As Advocates for Faith & Freedom boldly stands in the gap for our nation, won’t you join us and millions of Americans throughout our country by attending a National Day of Prayer event in your city or at your church?  May God's blessings of peace and prosperity be on our faithful and grateful nation.

Is Abortion Losing Public Support?

We’ve found yet another issue in our favor that the secular, main stream media does not want report: many more people are now in favor of seeing Roe V. Wade overruled. Previous polls from organizations such as Gallup have shown that as much as 70 percent of the American public support keeping the Roe v. Wade ruling in place. However, a recent article by the Human Family Research Center reports that the results were different when the poll's wording provided more details.

Considering a small margin of error, when one polling company survey explained to people that if Roe v. Wade was repealed, abortion wouldn’t be wiped out, but simply return jurisdiction to the individual states, the poll results were nearly a 50/50 split to see it overruled.

After 44 years, Roe v. Wade remains one of the most controversial Supreme Court decisions and when the facts about the law are more clearly defined, the American public is almost evenly divided. But, we still have more work to do.

Please help us continue the fight to protect the unborn through the courts in our state and country by praying with us.

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10

And, if you are able, please click here to send your tax-deductable donation. No donation is too small and your support is greatly appreciated!

President Trump Keeps Pro-Life Promise

In his first major pro-life action in office, on January 23, 2017, President Trump signed an executive order barring federal funds from organizations that promote abortion around the world, including the 100 million taxpayer-dollar recipient International Planned Parenthood Federation. Additionally, in the first successful strike against the nation’s largest abortion network, VP Mike Pence cast the deciding vote to allow states to strip federal family planning funds from Planned Parenthood.

According to Congressman Sean Duffy, Planned Parenthood PACs donate millions to the abortion friendly Democrat Party. So it’s no surprise that during Obama’s remaining months in office, he announced a new regulation that required state and local governments to distribute federal Title X funding for services related to family planning, regardless of whether they also perform abortions. Fortunately, according to the Congressional Review Act (CRA), Congress and a new president can overturn rules issued in the waning days of a previous administration, which is exactly what the Trump administration did. We have many hopes for our country as our new president and his administration settle into office.  As we continue to pray, we will keep a watchful eye on their progress.

Daniel 2:21 “He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.”

Easter Objection Overruled

Is there evidence for believing that Jesus is really God’s son – the Messiah? Absolutely! In 1947, the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered near the Dead Sea in Israel. The scrolls include the entire Old Testament except for the book of Esther. In fact, the discovery proves that our present-day Old Testament is virtually identical to the scrolls.

Transcribed up to 200 years before Jesus Christ walked this earth, the scrolls contain the same Old Testament prophecies that foretell the coming of Christ the Messiah, God’s son. Historical evidence shows that ancient Jewish Rabbis taught that the Old Testament Scriptures prophetically described the future Messiah.

For example, Isaiah 52-53 describe a man who was afflicted, pierced, wounded, killed with criminals as a sacrifice for souls, and placed in a rich man’s tomb.

 “…the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him and by His wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5

There are many Old Testament Scriptures written well before the time of Jesus Christ that describe his coming in detail, his life with accuracy and his death with precision.

So join us as we celebrate this blessed Easter weekend, knowing with confidence, that all objections to the deity of Christ have been overruled!

“According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Peter 1:3

Fighting for Pro-life in Superior Court

On April 6^th, we were in court for 3 hours arguing against the new California state law that requires Christian-based crisis pregnancy counseling centers to provide a notice to the young women they serve—advising the women that free and low cost abortions are available. And the notice must include a phone number to a county agency that will refer the women for an abortion. We represent the Scharpen Foundation which runs one of the pro-life counseling clinics in Riverside County. We had a very positive hearing in the Superior Court for the County of Riverside, California. The California Attorney General filed a motion asking the court to dismiss our case. We argued that we have developed sufficient facts to prove that the new law, known as the Reproductive Fact Act, intentionally discriminates against pro-life pregnancy counseling centers.

After dozens and dozens of hours of research, we have been able to uncover evidence that the new law targets these pro-life ministries. The Reproductive Fact Act essentially exempts all for-profit licensed clinics that provide medical care. The law also exempts all other licensed clinics that provide comprehensive women’s medical care—i.e. abortions. What’s left are approximately 92 licensed non-profit clinics. Approximately 82 of these are pro-life and the other 10 clinics do not provide abortions. This evidence is revealing. After exempting thousands of clinics, the law only applies to 92 clinics, including all of the 82 pro-life clinics in California. This took a lot of work, but our attorneys figured it out. Attorneys Nada Higuera and Christine Torres did a great job uncovering this evidence!

Please pray for our judge in Riverside County Superior Court. If she denies the request by the Attorney General, then we will have the opportunity to present this evidence in a full trial on the merits to prove discrimination statewide based on a clinic’s pro-life position. The judge will soon be issuing a written decision.

Meanwhile, we are also waiting on the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether the High Court will accept our federal case for review. We have two different legal strategies ongoing.

Please continue to pray. We are in the thick of this battle—among others! If you have the ability to donate today, we could really use your financial support as well. Thank you!

Fighting for Pro-life in Superior Court Today

We would like to thank you for your prayers this morning! Today we were in court for 3 hours arguing against the new California state law that requires Christian-based crisis pregnancy counseling centers to provide a notice to the young women they serve—advising the women that free and low cost abortions are available. And the notice must include a phone number to a county agency that will refer the women for an abortion. We represent the Scharpen Foundation which runs one of the pro-life counseling clinics in Riverside County.

We had a very positive hearing in the Superior Court for the County of Riverside, California. The California Attorney General filed a motion asking the court to dismiss our case. We argued that we have developed sufficient facts to prove that the new law, known as the Reproductive Fact Act, intentionally discriminates against pro-life pregnancy counseling centers.

After dozens and dozens of hours of research, we have been able to uncover evidence that the new law targets these pro-life ministries. The Reproductive Fact Act essentially exempts all for-profit licensed clinics that provide medical care. The law also exempts all other licensed clinics that provide comprehensive women’s medical care—i.e. abortions. What’s left are approximately 92 licensed non-profit clinics. Approximately 82 of these are pro-life and the other 10 clinics do not provide abortions. This evidence is revealing. After exempting thousands of clinics, the law only applies to 92 clinics, including all of the 82 pro-life clinics in California. This took a lot of work, but our attorneys figured it out. Attorneys Nada Higuera and Christine Torres did a great job uncovering this evidence!

Please pray for our judge in Riverside County Superior Court. If she denies the request by the Attorney General, then we will have the opportunity to present this evidence in a full trial on the merits to prove discrimination statewide based on a clinic’s pro-life position. The judge will soon be issuing a written decision.

Meanwhile, we are also waiting on the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether the High Court will accept our federal case for review. We have two different legal strategies ongoing.

Please continue to pray. We are in the thick of this battle—among others! If you have the ability to donate today, we could really use your financial support as well. Thank you!

Can California Ban Moral Standards of Religious Employers? They're Trying!

Should a church be allowed to remove a high school youth pastor from his position if he coerced his pregnant girlfriend to get an abortion? What if the youth pastor was female, pregnant and unmarried? Today, church leaders have the ability to take the appropriate employment action that they believe is best in that situation. I suspect that you agree that the First Amendment protects the church’s right to make the best decision that the leaders see fit for that particular situation based on their religious beliefs.

But the California Legislature will soon decide whether the church is capable of making the right decision. If passed, AB 569 would outlaw the right of religious organizations, including churches, pro-life organizations, non-profits and Christian colleges to maintain employment standards regarding “reproductive health.” These are just liberal code words for abortion and birth control.

What if a Catholic nun became pregnant by a priest and later had a partial birth abortion? Will the California legislature really have the nerve to tell the Catholic Church that the church has no ability to take appropriate disciplinary action?

Assembly Bill 569 stomps on religious freedom by forbidding religious organizations from requiring that their employees maintain the moral standards taught by the individual organization.

We will certainly oppose the legislation and encourage you to do the same.

ACTION ITEM: It is absolutely vital that members of the Assembly hear your concerns. To see if your Assemblymember is on the committee, click here. To find your Assemblymember and contact information, click here.

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         At the end of February, I was invited by Jim Domen of Church United, to participate in a briefing with pastors at the California State Capitol. We met with numerous politicians to pray with them in the Capitol Building. I was honored to have the opportunity to provide a legal briefing and to encourage the pastors to engage in today’s culture.

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Litigation Update           Reproductive Fact Act Lawsuit: You may recall that we are aggressively challenging this abusive law that requires pro-life licensed medical clinics to post a notice to patients in the waiting room or in the clinic’s intake paperwork. The notice states that free and low cost family planning services and abortions are available by calling a particular phone number. Last week, along with our co-counsel at the ACLJ, we filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court asking the Court to accept our case for review after the Ninth Circuit ruled that forcing this speech on pro-life organizations is not unconstitutional.

Meanwhile, on April 6, 2017, we will be in the California State Superior Court where we are taking a second strategic path of litigation against the California Attorney General’s Office. We have uncovered important evidence that will help us prove discrimination by exempting most all other that the State engaged in viewpoint licensed clinics from the law. Our case will either be dismissed by the court or set for trial. Please pray that we receive a fair hearing and favor before the state court and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Our cost of litigating these cases are significant and we urgently need your support so that we can continue to battle to protect the unborn and our First Amendment right to free speech and free exercise of religion - all in the same litigation.

Pro-Abortion License Plates on the Horizon

California may soon have thousands of rolling “billboards” supporting abortion, thanks to proposed legislation that would authorize automobile license plates promoting a woman’s right to choose. Senate Bill 309, authored by Santa Barbara Democrat Hanna-Beth Jackson, would also serve as a fundraising vehicle for abortion providers such as Planned Parenthood. The bill is sponsored by NARAL Pro-Choice California, which is also pushing several other pro-abortion bills this year. In proposing the measure, Jackson took a swipe at President Donald Trump and the Republican majority in Congress, saying their attempts to cut federal funding for to reproductive health care services is what propelled her effort.

“We will not stand idly by and let this happen,” Jackson said, adding, “This license plate represents one way that we can demonstrate that we will stay true to our values and the right of every woman to safe, affordable and quality reproductive health care.

The initial cost for the “California Trusts Women” plates would be $50, but at least 7,500 of them would have to be ordered in advance before manufacturing could begin. The annual renewal fee for the plates would be $40. The plate’s design would be determined through a contest among Golden State artists.

According to a Los Angeles Times opinion piece, the phrase “Trust Women” is a nod to late-term abortion doctor George Tiller. The Kansas doctor was killed by an extremist in 2009 and has become a hero for many abortion supporters.

Not surprisingly, California is NOT among the 29 states that offer Choose Life license plates. Additionally, groups in 16 other states are working to get similar pro-life plates approved. In fact, California is one of only five states in which there is no active effort for the pro-life specialty plates.

Planned Parenthood Funding on the Chopping Block

The pendulum finally appears to be swinging. After Obamacare forced all employers in the United States, including Christian-owned businesses and non-profits, to offer and pay for abortions, the new GOP proposal to replace it would strip all federal funding for abortions (there are limited exceptions when it involves saving the life of the mother or in instances of rape or incest). The GOP’s American Health Care Act would also ban federal subsidies for any health care plan that covers abortion. The Republican plan is a serious blow to Planned Parenthood, which accounts for at least one-third of all abortions in America. “As long as Planned Parenthood continues to perform abortions, and especially as long as abortion is their core business, they should not receive the hard-earned money of American taxpayers,” said Dr. Grazie Pozo Christie, a policy adviser for The Catholic Association,  after the new GOP proposal was unveiled on March 7.

Planned Parenthood receives half a billion in taxpayer dollars annually and performs more than 300,000 abortions each year. While officials with Planned Parenthood maintain abortions are already exempt from federal funding and only account for 3 percent of its services, the practice is clearly a cash cow for the organization. Predictably, Planned Parenthood officials are not happy, claiming that such cuts would deprive women of vital health services, such as mammograms. The truth, though, is the organization has never offered the cancer screenings, but instead refers patients to outside sources for such preventive care.

What is not being reported in the mainstream media is that many of those who support defunding Planned Parenthood are also calling on the federal government to redirect those funds to community health organizations that do not perform abortions. That means that federal funding for women’s health would not evaporate, despite what abortion supporters are lamenting. The money would just be shifted to organizations that are not committed to the death industry.

The plan still faces a fight in Congress, where at least two Republican Senators and one GOP Representative have said they would not support any change in Obamacare that includes defunding of women’s health services. Stay tuned!

Prolife Community Loses an Icon

America’s prolife community is mourning the death of Norma McCorvey, the Roe v. Wade plaintiff who later turned the tables to become staunchly prolife. The about-face came in 1995 with her dramatic conversion to Christianity, and later Catholicism. She died Feb. 18 after a long illness. She was 69. Her family said in a statement that she was dedicated to undoing the abortion ruling. “Though she was the Jane Roe of Roe vs. Wade, she worked hard for the day when that decision would be reversed … Mom suffered much during her life, but we are grateful to God that she took His hand, found His peace, and now has that peace in its fullness.”

Norma was just 22 and vulnerable when her quest to abort her child led to the landmark Roe v. Wade case. Throughout the case she 

remained an anonymous figure as her attorneys manipulated McCorvey’s plight in their determined push for abortion. In fact, she learned about the historic decision not through her attorneys, but by reading it in the newspaper. One national magazine labeled McCorvey a “mascot” for the abortion movement. A decade after the ruling, she went public with her identity and often shared the stage with some of the nation’s most famous abortion proponents.

While working at a Dallas clinic, she befriended one of the prolife protesters, an evangelical pastor, and converted to Christianity. In 2005 she unsuccessfully petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade and later that same year testified before Congress, saying that she had been used and abused by the court system.

“She was victimized and exploited by abortion ideologues when she was a young woman but she came to be genuinely sorry that a decision named for her has led to the deaths of more than 58 million children,” Father Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life, said in a statement after McCorvey’s passing.

Norma’s conversion, and its subsequent fruit, symbolizes the enormous impact a single life—one dedicated to and redeemed by Christ—can bring.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace. Ephesians 1:7 (NIV)