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praying covid19

If ever there has been a time in recent history for faith to be in the public square, it's now.
We have been through crippling drought, devastating fires and now a global pandemic. 

Many who read this will agree that it is time to practically and prayerfully uphold the value of humbly acknowledging our reliance upon God, as the preface to our Federal Constitution states.
 
Let us be praying and doing good in our own families and communities, and add to the groundswell of care and hope across the country.

Regardless of whether our PM Scott Morrison holds a National Day of Prayer, we can all be praying daily, using points like these.

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President Trump held a National Day of Prayer on Sunday in response to the coronavirus.

In calling the day, the US President tweeted that:

“We are a Country that, throughout our history, has looked to God for protection and strength in times like these.

“No matter where you may be, I encourage you to turn towards prayer in an act of faith. Together, we will easily PREVAIL!”.

Franklin Graham thanked President Trump.

“I am grateful that President Donald J. Trump has designated today as a National Day of Prayer,” Graham wrote on Facebook.

“With so much uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 at home and around the world, people are afraid. Now is the time for Christians to be strong and courageous, knowing that Almighty God is with us.”

FamilyVoice is asking Prime Minister Scott Morrison to do likewise.

“As the nation seeks to manage this serious pandemic, and so many people are anxious, we encourage the Prime Minister to set a day for national prayer,” said FamilyVoice National Director Charles Newington.

“We ask for his leadership not only to secure public safety but to help calm a very anxious community, by encouraging the nation to pray.

“A dedicated day of prayer would help the nation ask God for help and restore calmness and good neighbourliness in our communities.”

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A ban on transgender students participating in women’s sports has passed the Arizona House of Representatives.

The measure was supported 31-29 and will now head to the state Senate.

Representative Nancy Barto, a Republican sponsor of the legislation, said males should participate with males and compete against males while females should compete against females.

“Recent research actually verifies that even with cross-sex hormones, men have an unequivocal advantage. They've got stronger bones, they've got greater lung capacity,” she said.

If passed by the Senate, females at public and private schools would be protected by the measure, as well as those in community colleges and universities.

Teams or sports designated as “female” would not be open to biological males.

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Pro-family groups are celebrating a rare breakthrough in the fight against pornography, following the news that an Australian parliamentary inquiry has recommended protecting children from exposure to hard-core websites by mandating age verification among users.

“A number of concerned groups have long campaigned to protect Australian children, and we thank God for this development,” said FamilyVoice spokesman David d’Lima.

“We fully expect Australia will follow the example of the UK which is working towards shielding children from exposure to pornography.

“The abuse of children by their peers in schools and kindergartens is directly related to seeing hard-core websites, and this must be stopped,” he said.

David d’Lima expressed thanks to FamilyVoice supporters and allied groups who have firmly and persistently urged the federal government to protect the children of Australia.

“The prayerful and active ministry of Christians as salt and light can achieve powerful outcomes as we take seriously our vocation as God’s people,” he said.

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The US Department of Justice is advocating for a persecuted Christian photographer, supporting her legal action against a law that requires her to cover same-sex weddings.

The intervention by a Federal Department followed strident action by Christian photographer Chelsey Nelson who is suing the Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government and is seeking a preliminary injunction against the application of the law which denies freedom of conscience.

In a remarkable show of support, the federal Department of Justice has filed a Statement of Interest in support of her action.

“The First Amendment forbids the government from forcing someone to speak in a manner that violates individual conscience,” said Eric Dreiband, Assistant Attorney General for the Department’s Civil Rights Division.

“The US Department of Justice will continue to protect the right of all persons to exercise their constitutional right to speech and expression.”

The Department’s  brief explains that Ms Nelson is likely to succeed on her Free Speech claim.

The brief explains that the Free Speech Clause prohibits governments from requiring people to engage in speech supporting or promoting someone else’s expressive event (such as a same-sex wedding ceremony).

The Department said weddings are “sacred rites in the religious realm and profoundly symbolic ceremonies in the secular one,” and thus are plainly “expressive activities” under the Supreme Court’s Free Speech cases.

The brief also points out photography is an expressive art form, and wedding photography in particular seeks to celebrate and honor the union being photographed.  Forcing a photographer, against her conscience, to express her support for a wedding that her faith opposes violates the Constitution.