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WEEKLY NEWS SUMMARY - JANUARY 10, 2024
In this week's Intersect, read about:
US National Debt Hits Record $34 Trillion
“The US government’s debt has topped $34 trillion for the first time, just weeks ahead of deadlines for Congress to agree to new federal funding plans. Data published by the Treasury Department showed that ‘total public debt outstanding’ rose to $34.001 trillion on December 29. That figure, also known as the national debt, is the total amount of outstanding borrowing by the US federal government accumulated over the nation’s history. The milestone comes just three months after the US national debt surpassed $33 trillion, as the budget deficit — the difference between what the government spends and what it receives in taxes — ballooned.” read more at CNN Business
THINK.
- It took us 232 years to rack up our first $10 trillion in debt. Now, we are expected to borrow almost $1 trillion more just by the end of March. It is a national security crisis as well—if “the borrower is the slave of the lender” (Proverbs 22:7b), we are beholden to the countries who hold our debt. To add to the concern, interest rates are rising, making it more expensive to pay off our debt. JP Morgan used the "boiling frog" analogy to describe our situation—we are in great danger, but don’t yet feel the effects. So, we are slow to act.
- Like personal debt, national debt can only be ignored for so long. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the federal government’s entitlement spending, mandatory spending, and net interest payments on the debt will exceed the government's total revenue by the early 2030s. The Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA), passed last summer, left no cap on the national debt ceiling through 2024. Therefore, whomever we elect to the presidency and Congress this year will be responsible for placing a limit on the amount we can borrow to pay our bills.
- Casting a vote can feel like an insignificant action toward tackling $34 trillion, but it is vitally important. While most candidates acknowledge that our debt is a problem, their solutions differ. You are likely to hear two different narratives on the cause of, and solution to, our debt. One will focus blame on tax cuts that have benefited large corporations. This narrative proposes increasing revenues by raising taxes on the wealthy and corporations and increasing funding for the IRS. The other narrative will focus blame on the increased spending and propose major cuts, as well as repealing some tax credits, like those going to green energy projects. Some “solutions” will make the problem worse; others will make it better. Your vote matters.
PRAY.
Heavenly Father, forgive us for being unwise stewards of the blessings You have given our nation. We pray that our elected and appointed officials humbly seek Your wisdom in these matters. Let us have a heart for our children and grandchildren’s future and give each of us wisdom in this election year. In Jesus’ name, amen.
ACT.
Elections are a long-term solution to our nation’s financial problems; this won’t be fixed overnight. That means we need to be reminded to vote so we never miss an opportunity! If you haven’t already, sign up for our Voting Reminders, and share it with your friends! These reminders are for every election, no matter how small, that you are eligible to vote in.
Abortion Was the Leading Cause of Death Worldwide in 2023
“Abortion has topped several infectious diseases as the world's leading cause of death for at least the fifth year in a row, even though multiple abortion restrictions have gone into place at the state level following the U.S. Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v. Wade. Statistics compiled by Worldometer, a database that tracks quantitative data on health, the global population and other metrics in real-time, show that more than 44.6 million abortions were performed worldwide in 2023.” read more at The Christian Post
THINK.
- It’s important to note that Worldometer, who compiles the statistics, only measured the total deaths in 2023 as more than 60.6 million. That figure does not include abortion as a form of death. If abortions were counted as deaths, the fatalities last year would have exceeded 100 million, and abortions would have accounted for more than 40% of them.
- In the United States, January is a notable month in the fight for life. It signifies the anniversary of the January 22, 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision, which legalized abortion in all 50 states. Next week marks the 51st anniversary of the March for Life, the annual event which calls itself the world’s “largest annual human rights demonstration,” originally created to counter the awful 1973 anniversary. My Faith Votes will be there, and we’d love to have you join us.
- With Roe v. Wade now overturned, states have become the main battleground. But that doesn’t mean the U.S. Supreme Court isn’t out of the picture. On Friday, they blocked a lower court ruling that had upended Idaho’s abortion ban in a case that’s shaping up as a test of whether the federal government can force emergency rooms to provide abortions despite state restrictions. The justices said they’ll hear arguments on the state law in April.
PRAY.
Father, we pray against the temptation to be discouraged in the fight for protecting life (Galatians 6:9) because tens of millions of lives depend on it. We pray for the upcoming Idaho case, that the state’s lifesaving laws would not be undermined. And we pray for a renewed resolve to advocate for the sanctity, value and protection of life, including in the voting booth.
ACT.
Babies survive abortions. And a new book from the ministry Abortion Survivors Network released yesterday powerfully shares the stories of individual survivors…in their own words. Order the book today and consider sharing the truth that abortion survivors do exist. You can help dispel the myth that abortion is just a “choice.”
Kentucky Woman Ordered to Pay More than $350,000 for Defending Traditional Marriage
“A federal judge last week ordered former Rowan County clerk Kim Davis to pay about $260,000 in fines and legal expenses to attorneys representing two men she refused to marry in 2015. That’s in addition to $100,000 a jury awarded the couple last September, bringing the total Davis owes to more than $350,000. Davis refused to issue marriage licenses to several homosexual couples shortly after the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriage.” read more at World
THINK.
- Davis refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples with her name on them, stating, “To issue a marriage license which conflicts with God’s definition of marriage, with my name affixed to the certificate, would violate my conscience. It is not a light issue for me. It is a Heaven or Hell decision.” When Republican Gov. Matt Bevin took office in December 2015, he granted religious accommodation to all clerks by executive order. In April 2016, the Kentucky legislature codified that in law, unanimously granting religious and conscience exemptions to all clerks from issuing marriage licenses that conflict with their religious beliefs. But her cases still went forth. You might remember the media firestorm surrounding Kim Davis in 2015. Our own National Chairman, Mike Huckabee, even got involved, advocating for Kim and volunteering to go to jail on her behalf.
- The Liberty Counsel, which has been representing Davis during her years-long legal proceedings, announced they will appeal the decision. “This case is far from over,” Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver, said in the announcement. “Because of Kim Davis, every clerk in Kentucky now has the freedom to serve as an elected official without compromising their religious convictions and conscience. This case has the potential to extend the same religious freedom protections beyond Kentucky and to overturn Obergefell v. Hodges, which was wrongly decided and should be overturned.”
- While being accused of misconduct, being fined, potentially losing a job, and jail time for standing for Christ and His Word can be terrifying, faithful men and women have endured far greater threats and consequences. (Daniel 3 and 6, Acts 7, Hebrews 11). Today, unless more courageous Christians stand firm against the aggressive claims of the LGBTQ community as well as other progressive anti-Christian agendas, our world will continue to embrace foolish ideologies and practices (Romans 1:28-32) and we may lose our religious freedom. Are you willing to stand for Him despite the cost?
PRAY.
As Christians in America, we have liberty to preach the gospel and be Christ’s ambassadors. But if we do not preach the gospel and seek to bring others to Christ, such liberty loses its eternal significance. Pray for boldness to resist the temptation to withdraw from culture, choosing instead to take Christ to all nations as fervently as possible (Matthew 28:19).
ACT.
Next Tuesday, January 16th, is National Religious Freedom Day, the commemoration of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, drafted in 1777 by Thomas Jefferson. It was a pivotal moment in our nation's history as his visionary document laid the foundation for the protection of religious liberties enshrined in our Constitution. Take a moment to read the short 3 paragraphs of the Statue here that acknowledges God as Creator.
True the Vote Wins Federal Election Lawsuit in Georgia
“The conservative vote-monitoring organization True the Vote’s challenges to Georgia voters’ eligibility did not amount to voter intimidation in the 2020 elections, a federal judge ruled on Jan. 2. U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones, in a 145-page ruling issued a little less than two months after the end of a civil trial, found that the defendants thus did not violate the Voting Rights Act. Texas-based True the Vote, its founder Catherine Engelbrecht, and several others had raised questions about whether 364,000 Georgia voters were improperly registered because their voter registrations conflicted with their mailing addresses.” read more at NTD
THINK.
- A person can’t cast an absentee ballot if they are no longer a resident of their state. Georgia law allows residents to challenge the eligibility of voters in their county, using change-of-address forms filed with the U.S. Postal Service as evidence. Through volunteers who lived in various Georgia counties, True the Vote challenged over 360,000 ballots in the 2021 runoff election for the U.S. Senate that determined which party controlled the chamber. The group said it had sufficient reason to believe the voters no longer lived in the districts where they were registered—making them ineligible to vote unless they are in the military, college students, or had temporarily moved but were still residents.
- Fair Fight, an organization “founded to organize collective efforts to expose, mitigate, and reverse voter suppression” and “advocate for progressive issues,” filed a lawsuit alleging that True the Vote’s efforts violated the Voting Rights Act. Lauren Groh-Wargo, Fair Fight’s CEO, called it “one of the most bold-faced voting suppression attempts in Georgia history.” But does challenging the ballots of people who may be ineligible to vote amount to voter suppression, or fraud suppression?
- “This decision is monumental," True the Vote’s lead attorney said. "It vindicates True the Vote in totality and establishes that eligibility challenges under Section 230 are a proper method to ensure voter rolls are accurate.” Concerned citizens took advantage of a legal opportunity to verify the integrity of their county’s elections, and they did not suppress or intimidate any voters in the process. They didn’t just vote; they did what they could to make sure the elections in their county were fair.
PRAY.
Pray for the people in charge of upcoming elections in your state and county. Pray that they will love the truth and work diligently to protect the integrity of the elections they are entrusted with.
ACT.
Did you know you may be eligible to be an election worker (also called poll workers, election judges, or election clerks, depending on your state)? In this position, you help facilitate the voting process and ensure that it is accurate, efficient and fair. Your county may need election workers for the primary! Learn more here.
My Faith Votes—is a nonpartisan movement that motivates, equips and activates Christians in America to vote in every election, transforming our communities and influencing our nation with biblical truth. By partnering with national faith leaders, My Faith Votes provides resources to help Christians Pray, Think, and Act to create an America where God is honored in the public square.
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