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Dear Friend,

Welcome to the Friday Five! Every Friday we share our top five articles, stories, and quotes for you to read and share with your friends and church families.

We would be very grateful if you could make a donation of $100, $50, $25, or $10 today towards our work producing these Friday Fives and fighting for your values on the public square!

1. NC VALUES: Our sister organization, IFFNC, filed two important amicus briefs this week

Our sister 501(c)(3) organization, the Institute for Faith and Family (IFFNC), filed an important pro-life amicus brief this week in the Supreme Court’s State of Idaho v. United States of America case. The brief sides with Idaho’s ability to rightly exercise its post-Dobbs newly recognized regulatory authority over abortion, which it did in 2023 by enacting a state statute.

The case itself involves the issue of whether the Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act (EMTALA) should be applied to treat abortion as emergency care, thus requiring hospital physicians to perform abortions. The amicus brief argues in favor of the right of every medical professional to exercise conscientious objection and to follow their conscience.

IFFNC also filed an important pro-life and pro-religious freedom amicus brief this week in the 9th Circuit’s Cedar Park Assembly of God of Kirkland v. Myron Kreidler case.

The case itself involves the State of Washington’s demand that a church—committed to honoring the Creator by preserving the sanctity of human life in the womb—provide abortion coverage for its employees. The brief argues in favor of the church, claiming that Washington state encroaches on the doctrine of church autonomy and its sanctity, and thus more egregious than any ordinary Free Exercise violation.

From the Supreme Court, to the 5th, 9th, and 11th Circuits, we have filed 18 amicus briefs over the years on a number of major cases impacting your pro-life, pro-family, and pro-religious freedom values.

2. THE DAILY SIGNAL: Lack of ‘Affirmation’ Is Child Abuse: New Biden Rule Applies Transgender Standard to Foster Care

"Transgender orthodoxy may soon become a litmus test for parenthood, according to the logic of a new policy working its way through the Department of Health and Human Services under President Joe Biden. A new rule in HHS’ Administration for Children and Families would apply the idea that any lack of 'affirmation' constitutes a form of child abuse to foster care placements. Once that idea takes root in foster care, child protective services agencies might start applying it more broadly."

3. LIFE SITE NEWS: South Carolina Supreme Court rejects Planned Parenthood challenge to heartbeat law

"South Carolina’s law against abortions on babies once a heartbeat can be detected, typically around five to seven weeks, can continue to stand after the state’s highest court rejected another abortion industry challenge. Planned Parenthood and other abortion facilities previously filed a lawsuit to enjoin the law based on what they claimed was an unclear definition in the law of how to detect a heartbeat. The filing also admitted that a fetal heartbeat is detected earlier than 17 weeks, in contrast to what the abortion industry has previously argued."

4. NORTH STATE JOURNAL: Should your church start a school?

"To prevent the next generation of Christian children from falling away, we must create an environment that allows them to be educated in alignment with Christian values. It is no longer sufficient to rely solely on the brief hour or two spent at church on Sundays to counterbalance the influence of secular school culture during the remaining 35 hours of the week. Outsourcing the education of our children to the state is no longer the best option, as it often fails to prioritize the values of the church and the home. So, what can a church do? Is starting a school within the church an option worth considering? Is it an affordable option?"

5. THE DAILY SIGNAL: Cosmopolitan’s Unintentional, Unironic Reminder That Abortion Is Satanic

"Cosmopolitan magazine is trash. Most sane people would agree. But sometimes Cosmopolitan unironically publishes something that horrifyingly illustrates just how far gone and evil our society, and the culture of death, is. Case in point: Cosmo’s recent post on social media to promote its article highlighting “satanic abortion.” (I’m including screenshots just in case the magazine decides to delete them and try to cover its tracks.) The piece quotes a 37-year-old woman with the pseudonym of Jessica as saying of her abortion that 'the experience was just very supportive.' Jessica’s abortion was facilitated by a New Mexico organization that calls itself The Samuel Alito’s Mom’s Satanic Abortion Clinic. WCIV-TV, an ABC affiliate in Charleston, South Carolina, refers to it as 'a telehealth abortion clinic that mocks a Catholic judge who serves on the U.S. Supreme Court.'"

Weekly Prayer: Life

LORD, we recognize that you are Sovereign over all creation. We recognize you made man from the dust, and in your mercy, you crowned creation with man and woman made in your image. What a wonder it is that you would bestow upon us this blessing and responsibility!

LORD, may we not take this blessing for granted. We pray that this great responsibility and dignity may motivate us to love You, our neighbors, and our families more. LORD, may we as a culture truly see and believe that children are a blessing from the LORD—born or unborn; able or disabled. All children should have an opportunity to experience the liberty of life. LORD, make us your vehicle to change our culture into one that cherishes and protects life. Keep at the forefront of our minds our responsibilities to respect, cherish, and serve the youngest and oldest in our society.

"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, 'Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: 'Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.'" (Matthew 18:1-6)

Amen

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Sincerely,

Tami & Team
NC Values