In today’s News:
Religious liberty wins in the Navy
The United States Navy has revised its policy prohibiting active service members from attending in-person religious services. Those who disobeyed and attended church services had risked court-martial. The move is seen as an important victory on behalf of religious liberty by Navy personnel affected by the previously enacted ban, and by those who fought on their behalf. The change comes just days after First Liberty Institute sent a letter on behalf of active duty officer Daniel Schultz and several other service members affected by the order, asking the U.S. Navy to grant an accommodation so that he could attend indoor religious services. On June 24, the Navy issued an order banning troops from attending indoor religious services, although other activities such as using mass transit, hosting social gatherings of any size, and participation in protests were all permitted. The order specifically stated that “service members are prohibited from visiting, patronizing, or engaging in … indoor religious services.”
Planned Parenthood gets a new neighbor
The largest Planned Parenthood facility in Texas has a new neighbor in the form of a pro-life pregnancy center that will provide life-saving support and alternatives to the deaths taking place across the street. The Prestonwood Pregnancy Center has moved to a new location in southwest Dallas, where it will offer free sonograms, ultrasounds, pregnancy tests, medical referrals, childbirth classes, and pregnancy counseling free of charge, Fox News reported. Its new location is directly across the street from Planned Parenthood’s largest abortion center in the state. Prestonwood currently has two permanent locations in Texas as well as several mobile clinics that offer pregnancy tests, sonograms, and referrals for further care. The new clinic says that since opening there is already a 50 percent increase in the number of women it has seen, 90 percent of whom ultimately decided to choose life – indicating that the location’s proximity to planned parenthood has made a significant difference in the number of babies and women saved.
Partial win for pro-life in Indiana
A federal judge upheld part of an Indiana pro-life law Wednesday requiring annual inspections of abortion facilities, a move that will protect both unborn babies and mothers. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Richard Young was only a partial victory for the pro-life cause. He did permanently strike down part of the law that requires abortion facilities to report to the state when patients suffer abortion complications. Passed in 2018, the Indiana law requires annual inspections of abortion facilities and increases reporting requirements when patients experience complications from an abortion. It also includes language to help ensure abortion facilities are reporting suspected abuse, whether by a partner, parent or human trafficker. Planned Parenthood challenged both the reporting and annual inspection requirements in a lawsuit soon afterward, alleging that even the annual inspections are unfair.
