24 April 2024
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“But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.” [Ezekiel 33:6]
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” [Ephesians 6:12]
Presbyterians Week Headlines
[2] Operation Rescue President Troy Newman Responds to Statements Made by President Trump on Monday
[4] Calgary, Alberta, Canada Judge Rules That Autistic Woman Can Kill Herself
[5] UCLA Med School Lecturer Demands Students Pray for “Mama Earth”
[6] Southern Baptist Convention Conference Speaker Promotes Homosexual Ideology
[7] Navy Vet Who Destroyed Satanic Statue Charged with Hate Crime
Additional Articles of Interest
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A senior member of staff at Touchstone Support Leeds has said while giving evidence 5 April 2023 in the case of Felix Ngole, that sharing the belief that there are only two genders could ‘lead to death.’
Mr Dave Pickard also said that a staff member sharing the famous Bible verse John 3:16, would be ‘triggering’ to an LGBTQI+ service user using NHS services.
The verse says in the Book of John: ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’
In response to the comment, Employment Judge Jonathan Brain, said: “What is triggering about that?”
Operations Director, Mr Pickard was giving evidence at Leeds Employment Tribunal defending Stonewall backed Touchstone’s decision to withdraw a job offer because Mr Ngole said he would not ‘embrace and promote LGBTQI+ rights’ due to his Christian beliefs.
Supported by the Christian Legal Centre, Mr Ngole, 46, has brought claims of discrimination and harassment against Touchstone.
In May 2022 Mr Ngole had been offered his ‘dream job’ as a Mental Health Support via Touchstone, who recruit on behalf of the NHS, until it was discovered he had once won a landmark legal case over his right to freedom of speech.
In 2015, Mr Ngole was thrown off his social worker training course at Sheffield University following a debate on Facebook which quoted passages from the Bible about same-sex marriage.
But in a major victory for Christian freedoms, the Court of Appeal ruled in 2019 that Mr Ngole would ‘never discriminate against anyone’ because of his Christian beliefs and therefore he was he was allowed to return to his training and subsequently qualified as a social worker.
Nonetheless, Mr Ngole despite being offered a job with Touchstone, was invited back for a ‘second interview’ in which he was interrogated about his beliefs. He was told by Touchstone bosses that unless he could demonstrate how he would ‘embrace and promote homosexual rights’, the job offer would be withdrawn.
They said that his beliefs did not ‘align’ with Touchstone’s ethos as an ‘inclusive employer’ and that he posed a risk to the organisation’s reputation.
He was also told in the second interview that he would be expected to attend LGB and Transgender awareness training but would not be free to share his views despite others being free to share their LGBT affirming views.
Despite Mr Ngole seeking to assure Touchstone that he had never been accused of forcing his beliefs on anyone and that he had never been accused of discriminating against anybody, the job offer was eventually withdrawn.
Prior to this, in May 2022, Mr Ngole was the best performing candidate in interview having gained the highest marks of any candidate on an equality and diversity assessment.
Felix’s evidence – ‘The Good Samaritan’
Giving evidence this week, Mr Ngole told the panel of the story of the Good Samaritan and said that Christians are to go out of their way to care for people who may not be exactly like them.
Mr Ngole said: ‘I saw the Touchstone job as a position to look after people and care for people. I cannot say that I am serving a loving God, then hate the people he created.’
He said he has been a Christian from a ‘tender age’, held the views on gender and sex which appear in the Bible, and said that he has never had a complaint in 20 years during his time working in the UK.
‘I’m a black man, I know what discrimination feels like,’ he said.
He said the second interview after his Court of Appeal win was discovered, was more like an ‘interrogation’ and that having his Christian beliefs questioned made him feel ‘uncomfortable’. He said he was ignored by the interviewers when he repeatedly said he was feeling ‘anxious.’
‘I felt my faith was under attack,’ he told the tribunal, and he said ‘he felt angry and offended.’
‘I would not discriminate against people. I would never and have never discriminated against anybody. My faith does not allow me to discriminate against people,’ he said.
He said many people in Britain, ‘professionals, judges, housewives, husbands’ hold the same Christian views as him.
Adding: ‘I believe that The Bible is the word of God. The Bible is a sacred book and I believe in The Bible.’ The Bible defined what is a ‘sin’, not him’, he said.
‘Minority Stress Theory’
Commenting on the job in question: ‘I wanted to work with people from all backgrounds. I was thinking about how I could help people and support them – something I have been doing for 20 years.
‘As a Christian I do not see any conflict in working with and for people from the LGBT community.’
Mr Ngole said he felt ‘humiliated and betrayed’ by Touchstone’s decision to withdraw the job and that the ‘reasoning for withdrawing the job offer left me confused, exhausted and depressed.’
The trial continues next week when the tribunal will analyse Minority Stress Theory in a UK court for the first time.
The theory suggests that minority groups experience stress stemming from experiences of stigma and discrimination.
In response to Mr Ngole’s legal claims, Touchstone lawyers have tried to use the theory to justify discriminating against him. They suggested that if one of their service users discovered Mr Ngole’s Christian beliefs on human sexuality, it would cause them distress, and therefore he could not be employed.
If the courts accept this reasoning, it will send an alarming green light to other employers that they can discriminate against Bible-believing Christians in any situation where they might interact with people who identify as LGBTQ+.
In response, the tribunal will hear expert evidence in support of Mr Ngole that no evidence exists to support claims that a polite expression of a contrary opinion can cause psychological harm.
+ Christian Concern, 70 Wimpole Street, London W1G 8AX, England, 020 7935 1488, Contact Page
[2] Operation Rescue President Troy Newman Responds to Statements Made by President Trump on Monday
Every Life is a Miracle from God
NEWS PROVIDED BYOperation RescueApril 8, 2024
WICHITA, Kan., April 8, 2024 /Christian Newswire/ — Operation Rescue President Troy Newman responds to statements made by President Trump on Monday [8 April 2023]:
“We emphatically agree that all lives are beautiful and a miracle from God. However, no baby should be killed because her father is a rapist.
“Furthermore, science and medicine have advanced to the point that there is no such thing as a ‘medically necessary’ abortion. We applaud the President for installing three pro-life justices that helped overturn Roe v. Wade. However, this nation needs laws protecting every human from the moment of fertilization until natural death.
“Operation Rescue will continue to follow Proverbs 31:8 — to ‘speak out on behalf of the voiceless, and for the rights of all who are vulnerable.'”
Operation Rescue is one of the leading pro-life Christian activist organizations in the U.S. Our goal is to expose abortion abuses, demand enforcement, save innocent lives, and build an Abortion-Free America.
+ Christian News Wire, 2020 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest, Washington DC 20006, 202-546-0054, newsdesk@christiannewswire.com
+ Operation Rescue, Post Office Box 782888, Wichita, Kansas 67278, 800-705-1175, Fax: 916-244-2636, info@operationrescue.org
Today at Leeds Employment Tribunal, for the first time a UK court has heard evidence analysing the validity of ‘Minority Stress Theory’ applied to the case of Christian social worker, Felix Ngole.
Supported by the Christian Legal Centre, Mr Ngole, 46, has brought a case against Touchstone Support Leeds , following the Stonewall-backed NHS provider withdrawing a job offer after it discovered that Mr Ngole has orthodox Christian beliefs on human sexuality.
Mr Ngole was the best candidate for the role of Mental Health Support worker at Wakefield Hospital, until Touchstone bosses discovered he had won a crucial case for free speech and Christian freedoms at the Court of Appeal in 2019.
The Stonewall-backed NHS provider, which serves 10,000 people across Yorkshire, has tried to use ‘Minority Stress Theory’ to justify withdrawing Mr Ngole’s job offer.
The theory suggests that minority groups, such as the LGBT community, experience stress stemming from experiences of stigma and discrimination.
Giving evidence to support Touchstone’s position, Dr H. Eli Joubert, suggested that if NHS LGBT service users discovered Mr Ngole’s beliefs online, it could lead to ‘death.’
Touchstone has tried to argue that the mere knowledge that Mr Ngole holds conservative Christian beliefs will traumatise people, even if he never said anything during employment.
Last week, senior staff at Touchstone, who had interrogated Mr Ngole once they discovered his beliefs, even went as far to suggest that if a member of staff, like Mr Ngole, shared a belief that there are only two genders, or expressed opposition to same-sex marriage, it could lead also lead to a service user’s death.
They added that the famous Bible verse, John 3:16, would be ‘triggering’ to an LGBT service user.
The hearing has revealed that Touchstone is an LGBT enclave despite presenting itself as ‘diverse’ and ‘inclusive’. For example, 31% of its staff are LGBT, despite the latest ONS figures (2021), revealing that just 3.1% of the UK population is LGB
The case is believed to be the first time it has been argued that a person merely holding and expressing on social media traditional Christian views on marriage and sexuality ought to be a reason to discriminate in employment against them, due to the potential harm to LGBT people.
If the court was to side with Touchstone’s position it would have a major impact on freedom of speech, and not just for Christians. For example, it could also mean an employer would be free to do the same in relation to a someone expressing gender critical views, claiming a risk of trans people committing suicide.
‘No evidence’ of harm says expert
This morning, however, the tribunal has heard expert evidence which discredits ‘Minority Stress Theory’ from Rev. Dr Paul Sullins, Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at The Catholic University of America.
Citing numerous studies, including one as recent as 2022 from the Department of Psychiatry at Oxford University, Dr Sullins told the tribunal that: “Social isolation is the number one factor leading to suicide” in the general UK population.
He said: “Minority Stress Theory models don’t tell us why sexual minorities predict suicide,” and added that there are: “No higher incidents of death by suicide in the LGBT population than the rest of the population. LGBT persons are more likely to talk about attempted suicide, but are not more likely to commit suicide.”
He said that there are numerous studies on the risk of suicide as a result of non-affirming religions, and that they record “no higher risks of suicide.”
Cross-examined on Mr Ngole describing homosexual practice as a sin in the past, Dr Sullins said that Touchstone staff had shown: ‘A basic misunderstanding of what sin means in the Christian tradition. Christians believe that all humans are in a state of sin. Sin becomes an expression of the different occasions and ways that we are yet to discover God’s love in our lives.’
He added that expressing that something is a ‘sin’ or that someone is doing something ‘sinful’ is a way that Christians ‘…express that these are people who need specialise care and support from God.’
Dr Sullins said: ‘The word ‘sin’ is a Christian theological word’, and expressed surprise that Touchstone staff were not familiar with the Christian term ‘love the sinner, hate the sin’.
He added that: ‘Describing John 3:16 as ‘triggering’ shows a basic misunderstanding of how Christians understand God’s love for us.’
The hearing continues with closing submissions expected this afternoon. A reserved judgment is expected.
+ Christian Concern, 70 Wimpole Street, London W1G 8AX, England, 020 7935 1488, Contact Page
[4] Calgary, Alberta, Canada Judge Rules That Autistic Woman Can Kill Herself
The following is excerpted from the Canadian Independent, Mar. 25, 2024: “Calgary judge rules 27-year-old woman with autism can kill herself through medical assistance in dying (MAID). Due to a publication ban, the individuals involved can only be referred to as MV, a 27-year-old woman approved by two doctors for medical assistance in dying (‘MAID’), and WV, identified as MV’s father. The father, WV, expressed concerns about his daughter’s vulnerability and her competence in deciding to end her own life. He argued that MV, who lives with him and has autism and ADHD but no other health issues, may not be capable of making such a decision. … Today, a Calgary judge, Justice Colin C.J. Feasby, ruled in favor of MV, saying, ‘I do not know you and I do not know why you seek MAID. Your reasons remain your own because I have respected your autonomy and your privacy. My decision recognizes your right to choose a medically assisted death.’ Justice Feasby did issue a 30-day stay of his decision to allow WV to appeal to the Alberta Court of Appeal, maintaining the interim injunction for the next month.”
+ Way of Life Literature, Post Office Box 610368, Port Huron, Michigan 48061, 519-652-2619, fbns@wayoflife.org
[5] UCLA Med School Lecturer Demands Students Pray for “Mama Earth”
The following is excerpted from “UCLA Med School,” ?e Washington Free Beacon, Apr. 2, 2024: “In a mandatory course on “structural racism” for first-year medical students at the University of California Los Angeles, a guest speaker who has praised Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel led students in chants of ‘Free, Free Palestine’ and demanded that they bow down to ‘mama earth,’ according to students in the class and audio obtained by the Washington Free Beacon. Lisa ‘Tiny’ Gray-Garcia, who has referred to the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks as ‘justice,’ began the March 27 class by leading students in what she described as a ‘non-secular prayer’ to ‘the ancestors,’ instructing everyone to get on their knees and touch the floor—‘mama earth,’ as she described it—with their fists. … So began a long and looney lecture that shocked some students at the elite medical school and has led to calls for an investigation. Wearing a keffiyeh that covered her entire face, Gray-Garcia, a self-described ‘poverty scholar,’ led the class in chants of ‘Free, Free Palestine’ as faculty and staff looked on in silence. … The surreal spectacle is the latest controversy to envelop the ‘Structural Racism and Health Equity’ class, launched in the wake of George Floyd’s death as a part of the medical school’s ‘anti-racism roadmap.’ … Beyond her anti-Israel posts, Gray-Garcia’s writings include a book called How to Not Call the Po’Lice Ever and a poem, ‘Dear KKKolumbus,’ dedicated to black people killed by law enforcement.
+ Way of Life Literature, Post Office Box 610368, Port Huron, Michigan 48061, 519-652-2619, fbns@wayoflife.org
[6] Southern Baptist Convention Conference Speaker Promotes Homosexual Ideology
The following is excerpted from “SBC Conference Speaker,” Disntr, Mar. 27, 2024: “Rachel Gilson, a self-described same-sex attracted woman who spoke at the Southern Baptist Convention’s women’s conference in 2023 has now appeared in a promo video released by Preston Sprinkle’s Center for Faith, Sexuality, and Gender. The video portrays God as perfectly accepting of homosexual and transgender lifestyles devoid of any true repentance. In the video appear multiple homosexuals, lesbians, and ‘transgender’ people who argue that one should be able to live out who they really are, including rebelling against the God who created them and feeling welcomed and accepted in the Church. In 2019, during a student conference, Gilson remarked during a sermon that gay married couples who come to Christ can stay together because God hates divorce. Speaking on the topic of homosexuals coming to Christ, after a bit of build-up, Gilson said, ‘It’s not like if someone in a same-sex marriage comes to know the Lord, it’s like, Okay, what we’ve got to deal with first is your same-sex marriage…’ … Gilson has also been closely associated with Grant Hartley, another former Cru [previously known as Campus Crusade] leader who converted to Roman Catholicism a few years ago. [In 2022], Hartley boasted about his experience of dancing at a gay bar, stating that it felt like ‘heaven’ to him. In 2019, Hartley quote-tweeted a message from Rachel Gilson while she was preaching a sermon at Cru: ‘there is no command in scripture to be straight; there is a command to be faithfully single or faithfully married, and you can do either of those without being straight.’ … In 2022, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, which is presided over by Danny Akin.
+ Way of Life Literature, Post Office Box 610368, Port Huron, Michigan 48061, 519-652-2619, fbns@wayoflife.org
[7] Navy Vet Who Destroyed Satanic Statue Charged with Hate Crime
The following is excerpted from American Military News, Jan. 31, 2024: “Michael Cassidy, a Christian U.S. Navy veteran and former congressional candidate, has been charged with a hate crime after tearing down and beheading the controversial Satanic Temple statue that was displayed in the rotunda of the Iowa Statehouse in December. According to court documents reviewed by the Des Moines Register, Polk County prosecutors have charged the Christian Navy veteran with felony third-degree criminal mischief, claiming that Cassidy’s beheading of the Satanic Temple statue was ‘in violation of individual rights’ under the state’s hate crime laws. Cassidy is scheduled to be arraigned on February 15. … In December, Cassidy told the Sentinel … ‘I saw this blasphemous statue and was outraged. My conscience is held captive to the word of God, not to bureaucratic decree. And so I acted.’ As the legal battle between Cassidy and Polk County prosecutors continues, Cassidy has raised over $98,000 on his GiveSendGo website to cover rising legal costs.”
CONCLUDING COMMENT: [Way of Life Literature] We don’t agree with Cassidy’s actions, because we don’t see any example of this in the churches in Acts and the Epistles. Paul did not break any of the idols in Athens. He preached Christ and the true and living God (Acts 17). At the same time, Cassidy committed no hate crime. He should simply be required to pay the damages.
+ Way of Life Literature, Post Office Box 610368, Port Huron, Michigan 48061, 519-652-2619, fbns@wayoflife.org
Additional Articles of Interest
– Young, Healthy Women Being Euthanized in the Netherlands Should Be a Warning for Canada
– Planned Parenthood Brought in US$2.9 Billion Last Year, Killed 1,075 Babies in Abortions Every Day
– ‘Corruption So Rampant’: Billions Lost in ‘Mammoth’ COVID Fraud
– German Government Admits There Was No Pandemic
– Bombshell: Molecular Geneticist: COVID mRNA Shots Were ‘Designed’ to ‘Destroy Humanity’
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