Christian Heritage News

By Michael Gryboski - Posted at The Christian Post: Republican U.S. Rep. Chip Roy of Texas has introduced legislation to repeal a federal law that has been used to prosecute abortion clinic protesters and those accused of vandalizing crisis pregnancy centers. Roy introduced the bill Tuesday meant to repeal the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, with Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah introducing companion legislation in the upper house of Congress. In an announcement , Roy argues that the FACE Act, enacted in the mid-1990s, has been used by the Biden administration to target pro-life activists peacefully demonstrating against abortion. The law makes it a federal crime to block or use intimidation to prevent people from receiving an abortion or reproductive health services. "Biden's Department of Justice has brazenly weaponized the FACE Act against normal, everyday Americans across the political spectrum, simply because they are pro-life," stated Roy. Continue here.

 By Tom Strode - Posted at Baptist Press: WASHINGTON (BP) – Congress has given final approval to enshrining same-sex marriage in the law. The U.S. House of Representatives voted 258-169 for the Respect for Marriage Act (RMA) Thursday (Dec. 8), 10 days after the Senate approved the same legislation. With the votes, Congress has decided to repeal the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). While the measure does not require states to legalize same-sex marriage, it mandates federal and state recognition of any gay marriage considered legal in the jurisdiction where it took place. Passage of the proposal by both the Senate and House serves as a watershed, congressional redefinition of the institution of marriage. Congressional Democrats led the effort to enact such legislation while expressing concerns a more conservative U.S. Supreme Court might reverse its 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision that legalized gay marriage. Congress’ approval occurred during a lame-duck session prior to the tran

Posted at MinistryWatch: A Utah congressman, Republican Rep. Chris Stewart, introduced a bill Dec. 6 that says it would ban discrimination against LGBTQ people. The bill, co-sponsored by eight other Republicans, also claims to protect religious institutions that uphold traditional beliefs about marriage and sexuality, Religion News Service reported. But does it? Some conservative groups aren’t buying that the bill is good thing for Christian ministries and their biblical convictions. John Stonestreet, president of The Colson Center for Christian Worldview, described the bill as “the wrong piece of legislation at the wrong time.” “The Act would enshrine into law something that simply is not true, and for Christians that’s got to be a non-starter: that sexual orientation and gender identity are equal to race, that they are somehow immutable, something someone is born with,” said Stonestreet. Stonestreet said “the ‘born with’ idea is a useful fiction created by the early p

By Samuel Smith - Posted at The Christian Post: The Democrat-controlled U.S. House of Representatives passed the Equality Act Friday afternoon, hotly-debated legislation seeking to codify LGBT non-discrimination protections into federal law. H.R. 5 passed by a vote of 236-173. The bill would expand the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to also ban discrimination on the basis of “sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth, or a related medical condition” in housing, public accommodations and hiring. The bill was first introduced in 2015 but never passed in the Republican-controlled House. However, it is unlikely to be voted on in the Republican-controlled Senate. But LGBT advocates and supporters consider the bill’s passage in the House historic and a sign of progress because it is the first time a comprehensive LGBT civil rights bill has come to the floor in Congress. Continue reading...

By Tom Strode - Posted at Baptist Press: WASHINGTON (BP) -- The U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation Thursday (Dec. 20) to reverse a year-old law that calls for churches to file tax returns for the first time in American history, but it appears unlikely the effort will go any further in this Congress. The House voted 220-183 in a nearly party-line vote for a bill that included repeal of a 2017 tax cut's provision -– Section 512(a)(7) -- that required houses of worship and nonprofit organizations to pay a 21 percent tax on such employee benefits as parking and transportation. Only Republicans voted in favor of the proposal, and all but three of those opposing the legislation were Democrats. The House's action, however, apparently will fall short of ultimate nullification of the controversial provision. The Senate does not appear to have the votes to approve the House-passed measure, Southern Baptist policy specialists said. "We are disappointed that despi