Welcome to G3 Weekly—a summary of this week’s top news stories on Christianity and the public square.
This week, President Joe Biden mourned the overturn of Roe v. Wade during his second State of the Union address. The Church of England voted to recognize so-called same-sex marriages as well as “lament and repent” the historic denomination’s failure to embrace the practice. Meanwhile, the state of Oregon is becoming a hotspot for Americans who wish to commit medically assisted suicide.
Biden Condemns Overturn of Roe v. Wade in State of the Union
“When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood” (Isaiah 1:15).
President Joe Biden rebuked the Supreme Court for overturning Roe v. Wade, the landmark case which asserted that there exists a constitutional right to abortion, during his second State of the Union address.
“It’s our duty to protect all the people’s rights and freedoms. Congress must restore the right the Supreme Court took away last year and codify Roe v. Wade to protect every woman’s constitutional right to choose,” Biden said in his speech. “The Vice President and I are doing everything we can to protect access to reproductive health care and safeguard patient privacy. But already, more than a dozen states are enforcing extreme abortion bans.”
Several states have indeed passed more restrictions on abortion over the past several months, even though none have fully abolished the practice. Biden committed to vetoing any national ban approved by Congress during the speech.
Democratic lawmakers, such as Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts, drew criticism for wearing pins to the address that said the word “abortion” with a heart inside of the second “o.”
Biden meanwhile encouraged lawmakers to pass the Equality Act, which would codify sexual orientation and gender identity as protected categories under federal civil rights laws. “Our strength is not just the example of our power, but the power of our example,” he continued.
Church of England Votes to Honor Homosexuality
“If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination” (Leviticus 20:13).
The Church of England’s General Synod approved motions to let homosexual couples “dedicate their relationship to God and receive God’s blessing” after a civil marriage or civil partnership.
Although clergy for the denomination in which George Whitefield and J. C. Ryle once ministered are still not permitted to officiate so-called same-sex marriages, members of the General Synod agreed that the Church of England should “lament and repent” over their failure to welcome “LGBTQI+ people” throughout the past several centuries.
“It has been a long road to get us to this point. For the first time, the Church of England will publicly, unreservedly and joyfully welcome same-sex couples in church,” Justin Welby and Stephen Cottrell, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, said in a statement. “We are committed to respecting the conscience of those for whom this goes too far and to ensure that they have all the reassurances they need in order to maintain the unity of the church as this conversation continues.”
Oregon Becomes Assisted Suicide Hotspot in the United States
“Then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature” (Genesis 2:7).
Individuals who desire medically assisted suicide are traveling to Oregon because of a new policy that allows people from outside the state to obtain the procedure.
Staffers of the Oregon Health Authority and the Oregon Medical Board agreed last year to stop enforcing residency requirements for the state’s euthanasia laws, meaning that individuals from other states can now travel to Oregon for assistance with ending their lives. Dr. Nicholas Gideonse of Portland is now welcoming patients from outside the state to visit his clinic, End of Life Choices, and end their lives, according to a report from the Daily Mail. Gideonse told the outlet that there are “tons of people coming from all over” to his facility.
“For a small number of patients who otherwise qualify or are determined to go through that and who have the energy and the resources,” he continued, “it has started to happen.”
Assisted suicide is legal in nearly one dozen states. Canada will soon permit euthanasia among minors as “medical assistance in dying” becomes a leading cause of death in some provinces.
