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. <[link removed]>
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1. JOURNAL COURIER: Orange County towns of Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and Hillsborough pass anti-religious liberty sexual orientation and gender identity (“SOGI”) ordinances.
“More North Carolina towns have approved expanded non-discrimination ordinances for LGBT people, the result of the recent expiration of a 3 1/2-year ban on such rules by local governments.
The Chapel Hill board approved new protections unanimously on Wednesday that cover employment and public accommodations like hotels, restaurants and retailers within the town limits for people on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and other characteristics.
The boards of other Orange County communities of Carrboro and Hillsborough also backed similar ordinances this week. The local laws approved Monday by Hillsborough and Tuesday in Carrboro expressly make such discrimination punishable by a misdemeanor and $500 fines.”
Click here to read the letter we delivered to city and county officials explaining why they should oppose anti-religious liberty SOGI ordinances. <[link removed]>
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2. NY DAILY NEWS: Durham City Council and Orange County Commission plan on taking up anti-religious liberty SOGI ordinances next week
“Equality North Carolina, the state’s largest LGBTQ rights advocacy group and political lobbying organization, said that the ordinance ‘broadly’ protects members of the LGBTQ community from discrimination, noting that ‘the town of Chapel Hill is [the third] municipality in three days to enact LGBTQ nondiscrimination ordinances.’
The move is ‘fueling statewide momentum,’ as Durham City Council and Orange County Commission will also take up LGBTQ ordinances next week.”
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3. FOX NEWS: Twitter 'whistleblower' leaks video of Dorsey telling staff actions will be 'much bigger' than Trump ban
“A leaked recording of Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey suggests that the company's policy enforcement actions will go far beyond banning President Trump.
The right-wing guerilla news outlet Project Veritas released a clip on Thursday given to them by a purported Twitter "insider whistleblower" who secretly recorded remarks by Dorsey to staff.
"You should always feel free to express yourself in whatever format manifestation feels right," Dorsey said in the clip.
Dorsey, who recently addressed the controversy over his company's decision to permanently suspend the president, told staff in a virtual meeting that Twitter will do a "full retro" that will "take some time," but drew focus to the platform's former most high-profile account.”
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4. NORTH STATE JOURNAL: New study on COVID transmission in NC schools shows no reported child-to-adult transmission
“A pre-publication release of a study to be published in the Journal of American Pediatrics looks at COVID-19 transmission in schools in North Carolina. The findings may help answer the question of whether K-12 schools can be fully reopened in the second semester for in-person instruction using the current safety measures.
The study, titled Incidence and Secondary Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Infections in Schools, was produced by 13 doctoral and medical professionals associated with a number of medical organizations in the Triangle area.
The study spanned 11 school districts and nearly 100,000 students and staff that were open for nine weeks of in-person instruction. The researchers tracked secondary transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19, and found that “within-school infections were extremely rare.”
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5. FOX NEWS: President Trump impeached by House over Capitol riots, becomes first president to face rebuke twice
“The House voted 232-197 to impeach the president. Ten Republicans joined with Democrats.”
“Joining Cheney in support of impeachment were GOP Reps. Dan Newhouse of Washington, Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, Fred Upton of Michigan, Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington, John Katko of New York, Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio, Tom Rice of South Carolina, David Valadao of California and Peter Meijer of Michigan.”
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WEEKLY PRAYER: LIBERTY
LORD, you have blessed us with a spiritual liberty that is so wonderful and beyond description, that it can only be understood through experiencing a life-giving relationship with Christ. However, we also recognize that in your grace, you have blessed our country with a political liberty that enables us to openly proclaim the experience of a life lived in the freedom of the Gospel.
LORD, as individuals and as a nation, may we never take the inalienable right of religious freedom for granted. Right now our country has faced a rapid increase in the number of attacks made against this cherished right. We have seen groups across our public arena increase in boldness and frequency their smears against religious liberty. They claim it is bigotry, when we know it is the security of the greatest of all possible loves.
Be with your people and our country as it continues to protect the constitutional right protected by our nation's Founders. Be with legislators and the Supreme Court, as they determine through their actions the protection of this particular and fundamental freedom.
“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:1)
"For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." (Galatians 5:13)
"Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God." (1 Peter 2:16)
Amen
Will you chip in $100, $50, $25, or even $10 to help the NC Values Coalition continue to fight for your rights? You can donate by clicking here. <[link removed]>
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Sincerely,
North Carolina Values Coalition
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NC Values Coalition - 9650 Strickland Rd, Suite 103-226, Raleigh, NC 27615-1902, United States
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