On Tuesday, Aug. 8, the people of Ohio voted no on a constitutional amendment that would have raised the bar to change their state constitution from 50-percent-plus-one to 60 percent. The “no” vote means the current law will stay in place. The vote is being seen as a defeat for pro-life forces who are now […]
Legislative Update: U.S. Supreme Court Delivers Two Crucial Religious Liberty Decisions
For Christians, living in a culture that has abandoned absolute truth and reason as its foundation means freedom to speak the truth about biblical truths crucial to our witness and influence within the culture. Jesus’ prayer to His Father in John 17 focuses on our role as witnesses who are not of the world (that […]
Legislative Update: Why Should S.C. Baptists Care About Judicial Reform?
God’s Word has much to say about justice. God told Amos, “Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (Amos 5:24). Solomon extols the virtue of wisdom, writing that “wisdom walks in the way of righteousness and in the paths of justice” (Proverbs 8:20). David wrote, “For the Word of the […]
Legislative Update: Why a Biblical Worldview Matters for the Military
Recently, I had the honor and privilege of attending the commissioning service of Air Force 2nd Lt. Max Robbins. Max recently graduated from the University of North Carolina-Charlotte with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. I’ve known him, his sister, and his mom and dad for well over 30 years. Our relationship feels more like […]
Legislative Update: House wants to help equine industry by opening up pari-mutuel betting
There is an old saying that goes something like this: “Vice can never be a pathway to virtue.” In Matthew 10:16, Jesus told His disciples, “I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” Serpents were considered wise because they shied away from […]
South Carolina Legislature passes revised Heartbeat Bill
What a difference a year makes. Last year at this time, the South Carolina Legislature adjourned with a sine die resolution that would allow them to return to Columbia to work on pro-life legislation should the rumors coming out of the Supreme Court concerning Roe v. Wade prove true. Just a few weeks later on […]
Legislative Update: Is S.C. Really a Pro-Life State?
We are now eight months past the historic moment when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. On June 22, 2022, 50 years of federally backed abortions came to a startling end. I believe pro-life advocates across the country were both hopeful and prayerful, yet still the decision caught us by surprise. We marched, […]
Legislative Update: What do Chinese surveillance balloons have to do with culture?
OK … now that I have your attention, let me tell you what is going on at the Statehouse before I dive into explaining my headline. Early in February, the South Carolina Senate passed an updated version of the Heartbeat Bill that would protect life once a heartbeat is detected. The bill contains several exceptions, […]
Legislative Update: Supreme Arrogance
“Nil ultra” is Latin for “nothing beyond” or “none higher.” It is the motto of the South Carolina Supreme Court. Wait … before you read on, let the meaning of that phrase sink in. Think about it in the context of a Constitutional Republic, where three branches of government form the checks and balances that […]
Legislative Update: Congress Divorces Traditional Marriage, Forms Union with LGBTQ
The so-called Respect for Marriage Act is now the law of the land. What began with the Defense of Marriage Act, which passed Congress in 1996 — 342/67 in the House and 85/14 in the Senate — has now ended with this very bad bill that passed the Senate with the help of 12 Republicans, […]