Tomorrow is the National Day of Prayer. In God's divine providence, this comes at the exact time when the House of Representatives is bringing up a bill that creates a hostile legal environment for that very free exercise of religious liberty. It is no exaggeration to say these prayers could not be more timely.

Hate Crimes

The House is bringing up H.R. 1592, Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007. This bill is the most hostile move by the newly elected majority to date.

This legislation is going to create more hate because it will create injustice. Justice is not served when two criminals are punished differently for the same crime depending on who the victim is and the "actual or perceived race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability of any person."

This legislation blurs the line between committing a crime and being involved in a crime. During the House Judiciary Committee mark-up session, Rep. Artur Davis admitted that if a minister or pastor was giving a sermon saying that homosexuality was a serious sin and a person in the congregation went out and committed a crime against a homosexual, then that minister could be charged with the crime of incitement.

Practically speaking, as our federal justice system is clogged now, this legislation will only exacerbate this problem by requiring judges and juries to infer and evaluate a criminal's thoughts at the time of the crime. The federal government should not be usurping state and local jurisdictions in the first place.

Bishop Harry Jackson summerized well the problems with this legislation at a recent press conference (video).

• Pray that the bill does not pass or is successfully amended to neutralize the threats to religious freedom.
• Pray if the bill passes, it does not do so with a veto-proof majority.
• Pray that this bill does not pass in the Senate. (A bigger debate in the media is expected when this occurs.)
• Pray if this bill makes it to the President that he will veto it.

I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, To pluck up and to break down, To destroy and to overthrow, To build and to plant (Jeremiah 1:10).

In the meantime, churches and pastors should begin seeking additional liability insurance.

Faith-Based Hiring Protections

Today, this afternoon, the House is taking up H.R. 1429, the Improving Head Start Act of 2007. The Rules Committee blocked an amendment to bring this bill into compliance with the Civil Rights Act to include hiring protections for faith-based groups.

Instead, this amendment is going to be offered as the motion to recommit on the bill.

• Pray that this last procedural vote passes before the House concludes its work on this bill.

God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name (Hebrews 6:10).

RU-486

Yesterday, the Senate began taking up the FDA reauthorization bill. At some point this week an amendment related to the FDA's approval of RU-486 is expected on the floor.

• Pray these legislative efforts to pull this deadly drug from the market is successful.

Wherever He entered villages, or cities, or countryside, they were laying the sick in the market places, and imploring Him that they might just touch the fringe of His cloak; and as many as touched it were being cured (Mark 6:56).

Upcoming Events - 2007 Calendars: House (In), Senate (In)

Majority Leader Speeches: House, Senate (a good indicator of the upcoming Legislative Program)

Political Calendars: MSNBC, CQPolitics.com

• May 3 - National Day of Prayer
• May 13 - Mother's Day
• May 25 - Last day of the third working period before the Memorial Day recess
  
  
• Later in 2007 - Reauthorizations

  The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps (Proverbs 16:9).

Legislative Update Archive

All Legislative Updates are produced by Timothy T.C. McGhee