When the United States Supreme Court returns from its summer recess in October, a major case with potential religious liberty undertones will be among the first items on its docket.

Oral argument in R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Homes v. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission will be heard by the justices on October 8. This case is bound to have a large impact on how the government defines critically important terms such as “sex” and “gender identity” for purposes of federal law.

The late Dr. Adrian Rogers, who used to serve on the board here at Focus on the Family, liked to say that the Bible was like a pool shallow enough that a little child can come and get a drink without fear of drowning, yet so deep scholars can swim in it and never touch bottom.

I’m reminded of that observation as our promotion of ‘Bring Your Bible to School Day’ on October 3rd continues to heat up.  Here are just a few updates.

In 2017, the New York City Council voted to ban so-called “conversion therapy,” any paid services offered to individuals to help them with unwanted homosexuality or transgenderism. Mayor Bill de Blasio, whose wife Chirlane McCray used to identify as lesbian, returned the bill unsigned, allowing it to take effect in May, 2018. Whether or not she went through therapy as part of her process of leaving homosexuality, she and de Blasio certainly know something about sexual fluidity and change.

Less than two years later, New York City Council speaker Corey D. Johnson has introduced legislation to repeal the ban.