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WEEKLY NEWS SUMMARY - JANUARY 17, 2024
In this week's Intersect, read about:
Ohio House Overrides Veto on Bill Banning Trans Interventions for Minors and Protecting Women's Sports
“Ohio’s House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to override the governor’s veto of a bill that prevents biological boys from playing on girls’ teams and also prohibits minors from receiving cross-sex hormones, puberty-blocking drugs, and trans surgeries. By a 65-28 vote, the House voted to override Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto of a bill with two major sections: the Saving Ohio Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act and the Save Women's Sports Act. Reuters reported that the bill now goes to the state Senate, which is expected to vote on it Jan. 24.” read more at Christian Headlines
THINK.
- The Senate is expected to override the governor’s veto as well, since the bill, HB 68, previously passed that chamber 24 to 8—over the three-fifths threshold needed for a veto override. If that happens, the bill will become law after 90 days. Republican lawmakers in the state house were eager to vote for the override, despite claims that they were violating parental rights and endangering the lives of children. We discussed a proper understanding of parental rights in a previous edition of the Intersect.
- After vetoing the bill, Gov. Mike DeWine (R), then signed an emergency executive order this past Friday banning gender mutilation surgeries for minors. He did not ban puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones, as HB 68 does. Executive orders can be undone by the next governor, whereas a law must be repealed by the legislature. DeWine also proposed a new set of administrative rules that would require children and adults seeking cross-sex hormones or surgery to receive counseling, have a multidisciplinary team of health providers, and give informed consent before proceeding. HB 68 does not regulate transgender medical procedures for adults.
- So, in brief, Governor DeWine does not support a law banning puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones for children, but he supports the regulation of such procedures through administrative rules—not just for children but also adults. When it comes to surgery for minors, he issued a complete ban through executive order.
- What can we learn from this? First, vote down the ballot. In Ohio, the governor was divided from the legislators on this issue. Imagine if, in the last election, voters concerned about protecting children had only voted for the governor and failed to weigh in on their legislative races. Second, we must evaluate our candidates’ principles and not just their political party. Both the governor and the majority of legislators in Ohio are Republican. Third, we must vote in our primaries, where the candidates may belong to one party, but their quality often differs.
PRAY.
Heavenly Father, thank You for elected officials in Ohio and elsewhere who are standing to protect children. Let their example inspire more of our leaders to ban this terrible practice. As this issue is debated during election campaigns this year, open people’s eyes to the truth. In Jesus’ name, amen.
ACT.
Do you know when your next primary is? In some states, the presidential primary or caucus is on a different day from the primary for congressional and state races. Visit My Voter Hub to find everything you need to vote in your state. Sample ballots will be listed closer to your state’s primary date. We cover every state, so tell your friends and family!
Trump Wins Historic Landslide in Iowa Caucuses
“As widely expected, former President Donald Trump cruised to a 30-point victory in Monday’s chilly Iowa caucuses, the opening salvo of the 2024 GOP nominating contest. The rout further cemented Trump’s status as the most likely candidate to face off against President Biden in November’s general election.” read more at Yahoo News
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- In the 2016 Iowa caucuses, Trump lost to Ted Cruz, 28 to 24 percent. This time, Trump won 51 percent of the vote and won 98 of 99 counties (Nikki Haley won Johnson County by a single vote). Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley came a distant second and third at 21 percent and 19 percent, respectively. Vivek Ramaswamy was fourth with 8 percent and suspended his campaign late Monday night. Asa Hutchinson, who received less than 1 percent of the vote, dropped out Tuesday morning. Chris Christie ended his presidential bid last Wednesday.
- Voter turnout was low. Monday appears to have been the coldest caucus day ever. Could that have caused lower voter turnout? Somewhere around 112,000 Iowans caucused, well shy of the record of approximately 186,000 set in 2016. There are just over 2 million registered voters in Iowa, with 718,000 registered as Republicans.
- Record-time results. The media is in another furor of its own making after projecting Trump as the winner of the caucuses just 31 minutes after they began. The calls came before many Iowans had heard speeches and had the opportunity to vote. The Associated Press and several TV networks based their calls on a combination of voter surveys and the very earliest returns. The DeSantis campaign called it “election interference” and that the media was “in the tank for Trump.”
- What’s next? New Hampshire’s primaries are on January 23rd. For Democrats, it’s complicated. State law requires New Hampshire to hold the nation’s first primary election, but the Democratic National Convention (DNC) mandated South Carolina be first this year. So, NH is voting first, but the DNC isn’t counting its vote (meaning NH won’t be allowed any delegates to the DNC) and it’s causing legal chaos.
PRAY.
Please continue to pray for our nation throughout this primary election season. Pray for the candidates to come to know the Lord (if they do not already) and seek to follow His principles (1 Timothy 2:3-4). Pray Colossians 1:9-11 over the candidates who claim to know Him. “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience.”
ACT.
We know a surefire way to improve voter turnout! Research shows that people who publicly pledge to vote are more likely to follow through. And getting a reminder before Election Day helps even more! I’m inviting you to do what I did. Make a pledge to vote and opt-in to election reminders here. We need every Christian to vote biblically in the upcoming elections. By taking these two small steps, we are ensuring you and I are among those that do.
Houthi Rebels Strike a US-owned Ship off the Coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden, Raising Tensions
“Houthi rebels fired a missile that struck a U.S.-owned ship Monday just off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden, less than a day after they launched an anti-ship cruise missile toward an American destroyer in the Red Sea. The attack on the Gibraltar Eagle, later claimed by the Houthis, further escalates tensions gripping the Red Sea after American-led strikes on the rebels. The Houthis’ attacks have roiled global shipping, amid Israel’s war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, targeting a crucial corridor linking Asian and Mideast energy and cargo shipments to the Suez Canal onward to Europe.” read more at the Associated Press
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- Nearly 15 percent of global seaborne trade passes through the Red Sea, which means prices in our country could rise as ships are delayed due to avoiding that route. On January 3, the United States and eleven other nations condemned the Houthi attacks. After initially shooting down missiles that continued to target ships, the U.S. and the U.K. launched air strikes against Houthi forces inside Yemen last Thursday. Two U.S. Navy SEALs were reported lost at sea on Friday during a seizure of weapons supplied by Iran to the Houthis. The military is still searching for the missing SEALs.
- The Houthis are a tribal group of Shiite Muslims rebelling against the government of Yemen. Why are they attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea? The rebels claim to be targeting ships connected with Israel, even though many of the ships have little or no connection to Israel. The Houthi rebels are backed by Iran, which hates America and Israel.
- Sunday, January 14th, marked 100 days since the October 7 massacre of civilians in Israel by Hamas. Israel Defense Forces claim to know where the mastermind of the attacks is hiding in Gaza. However, they have not yet attacked his hiding place because he is reportedly using many hostages as human shields. Our friend Jim Denison wrote about this evil reality: “None of us fully understands why God allows innocent suffering. The greater the pain, the less we understand. However, the worse the pain, the more we need the Great Physician.” As the war continues, spend some time in Psalm 10 and remember that God does see.
PRAY.
Pray for our military, and their families. Pray for the over 100 hostages still held in Gaza. “Arise, O Lord; O God, lift up your hand; forget not the afflicted…. to you the helpless commits himself; you have been the helper of the fatherless. Break the arm of the wicked and evildoer; call his wickedness to account till you find none.” (Psalm 10:12,14-15)
ACT.
Fellowship of Israel Related Ministries (FAIR) created a list to enable you to pray for each of the hostages by name. You can also write a name on your hand to remind you to pray for that person while they are in captivity. When you come to the name of a hostage who is deceased, say a prayer for their family.
Reversing America's Moral Decline with God's Truth
“In this thought-provoking discussion, My Faith Votes CEO Jason Yates talks with the lead singer of Skillet, John Cooper, about the critical issues facing America today. From the erosion of shared values to the impact of secular ideologies, we explored the root causes of social and cultural disintegration. John Cooper highlights the need for Christians to engage in political philosophy, understand the consequences of ideologies like Marxism and Critical Race Theory, and actively participate in solutions that align with Christian values.” watch at My Faith Votes TV
THINK.
- When My Faith Votes was birthed in 2015, one of the opportunities God gave our team was connections to hundreds of influencers with a wide variety of backgrounds whose mission was to serve Christ in the public square. Since our inception, we’ve made it part of our mission to bring those voices to you through conversations, quick-clips, Public Service Announcements, LIVE events and more. Like John Cooper’s conversation above, each guest brings their unique perspective and helps us “Think” well about the issues of our day from a biblical worldview.
- We could all benefit from better content than much of what the mainstream media provides. Our library of interviews has grown, and we have our own “TV channel” called MFV-TV where you can find every interview and influencer in one easy, on-demand location. You can look up videos by key word, by name, and by topic, all right here for free!
- Some of our latest conversations include theologian and President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Dr. Albert Mohler, and Nathan Berkeley, Communications Director and Research Coordinator at the Religious Freedom Institute. You can even watch past popular conversations with notables like actor Jim Caviezel (our most watched interview ever), Dr. Ben Carson, Dr. David Jeremiah, Laura Ingraham, Abby Johnson, Kirk Cameron and many, many more. My personal favorite was interviewing Governor Mike Huckabee in his studio set in Nashville…it was a highlight of my career!
PRAY.
Lord, thank you for giving us minds to think well…minds that cause everyone to have a worldview; a set of basic beliefs, assumptions, and values that come from a narrative about the world which shapes human culture. Help us to be rooted in a biblical worldview based on Your unchanging Word, which informs every area of our lives, even politics, with Your truth. Thank you for men and women who help point us to a biblical worldview, especially as we live out our faith in current culture.
ACT.
Take some time to find your favorite conversation, whether by topic or by the guest we interviewed. Make sure to bookmark MFV-TV so you don’t miss any new releases. We’ve got some great ones coming soon!
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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