Faith
Supreme Court Declines Christian School Prayer Case
Faith Facts
- The Supreme Court refused to hear a Christian school’s case on prayer before a championship game.
- A lower court panel determined that loudspeaker prayer was government speech and not permitted at the event.
- Christian schools had requested to pray, but the athletic association denied it due to public facility regulations.
Christian schools in Florida faced a setback as their request to pray over the loudspeaker before a state championship game was declined by the U.S. Supreme Court. The justices allowed an earlier decision to stand, ruling that prayer over the loudspeaker at the event constituted government speech and could not proceed.
For Cambridge Christian School, publicly lifting up prayer before athletic contests has been a longstanding tradition. Despite both teams seeking permission, the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) did not permit the prayer at the stadium, citing legal and constitutional barriers.
FHSAA’s leader voiced that, “the Citrus Bowl was a public facility, predominantly paid for with public tax dollars, making the facility ‘off limits’ under federal guidelines and precedent court cases.”
The school, represented by Christian legal advocates, brought their case to court, but both district and appellate courts found the prayer would amount to speech by the government, not individual faith expression. The appellate court acknowledged the school’s concerns but maintained that rules governing public property must be respected.
Judge Ed Carnes wrote, “we agree with the district court that the speech at issue is government speech.”
First Liberty Institute’s Jeremy Dys described the Supreme Court’s decision as disappointing, stressing that it runs counter to the freedoms protected by the First Amendment.
Florida lawmakers have responded by passing a law permitting teams to make opening remarks—including prayers—before school sporting events. Defending religious liberty and the ability to pray publicly is fundamental for many Christian families and communities across our nation.
Faithful Americans must remain vigilant in defending our right to honor God both privately and in community. Stand for freedom and pray that all public expressions of faith are preserved for future generations.
Faith Facts
- Armed kidnappers abducted Father Bobbo Paschal and others, killing a church leader’s brother in Kaduna state.
- Christian leaders call for prayer and action as violence against believers escalates in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
- Thousands of Christians are kidnapped or killed for their faith in Nigeria each year, making it the deadliest country for Christian persecution.
Christian communities in Nigeria are enduring severe persecution and violence, with church leaders and families targeted by armed attackers.
Father Bobbo Paschal was abducted, and another faith leader’s brother killed, in a recent attack in Kaduna, reflecting a troubling rise in assaults on Christians.
Church authorities urge prayers for the swift and safe release of all abducted and for God’s comfort for those mourning loved ones lost to these tragedies.
Extremist violence, kidnappings for ransom, and targeted attacks against church leaders continue to devastate believers and threaten the future of Christian families.
“Christian leaders who spoke to [World Watch Research] described what they experienced as planned attempts to bankrupt Christian communities, particularly in the North and North-Central. They spoke of ‘intergenerational bankruptcy,’ where extended families found themselves forced to sell land and family assets to save abductees,” the dossier wrote.
Another leader stated, “We in Christian communities know that kidnapping actually achieves the aims of terror. It shuts down schools, whole schools and it is the end of Western education in the North. That is a Boko Haram aim. It bankrupts and impoverishes extended families, whole congregations, as Christians will come together to try to free a pastor. And it is resulting in the flight of Christian communities.”
America is called to raise up voices in defense of religious freedom, urging our leaders to stand with persecuted Christians worldwide and pursue justice rooted in biblical principles.
Join us in fervent prayer for the safety and faithfulness of Nigeria’s Christian families, and let us not waver in advocating for religious liberty everywhere.
Faith Facts
- The Balochistan assembly passed a law setting 18 as the minimum legal age for marriage, introducing strict penalties for child marriages.
- All child marriages are now illegal in Balochistan, with tough consequences for offenders and authorities who facilitate or ignore such unions.
- Christian leaders hope this move will inspire similar protections across Pakistan, especially for minority and vulnerable girls at risk of forced marriage and faith conversion.
In a decisive effort to defend the dignity and safety of children, Balochistan’s assembly enacted the Child Marriage Prohibition Bill, setting 18 as the legal age for marriage. Firm penalties await those who force or facilitate child marriages, affirming the province’s commitment to uphold the sanctity of childhood and family values.
Civic and Christian leaders see this as a vital shield for young girls, especially those susceptible to abduction and forced faith conversions. The law’s impact could resonate beyond Balochistan, encouraging other provinces to adopt similar measures and promoting justice rooted in Biblical principles and moral responsibility.
“The legislation is critical to protect minor Christian girls from the scourge of forced faith conversions as the perpetrators misuse religion to abduct and marry underage girls,” Augustine told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News.
People of faith celebrate this advancement, praying that justice prevails across Pakistan and that the innocent are defended in accordance with righteous standards. Join us in advocating for the protection of children everywhere, upholding God’s design for life, family, and liberty.
Faith Facts
- The European Court of Human Rights criticized Poland over the handling of its abortion law transition after the 2020 Constitutional Tribunal decision.
- The court found a violation of Article 8, concerning private and family life, but did not rule that abortion is a human right under the European Convention.
- Poland retains one of Europe’s most protective laws for unborn children, allowing abortion only in exceptional circumstances such as rape, incest, or threats to the mother’s life.
Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal upheld the sanctity of unborn life in 2020, restricting abortion to the rarest exceptions, rooted in timeless values of dignity and protection for the most vulnerable. The European Court’s judgment, in the case of A.R. v. Poland, addressed procedure, not the moral foundation or substance of protecting innocent life.
“With this judgment the European Court of Human Rights has interfered in a matter that belongs squarely under Polish jurisdiction. Poland has both the sovereign prerogative and the duty to protect all innocent human life,” said Dr. Felix Böllmann, director of European advocacy for ADF International.
The ruling emphasized that ethical debates like abortion must be handled with clarity, yet it reaffirmed national sovereignty in matters of life, family, and faith. Polish authorities remain steadfast despite outside pressure, honoring the conviction that every life—no matter how small or vulnerable—deserves defense and love.
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