What's Happening

Ohio

• Issue 1 fails: Issue 1 was defeated 57 percent to 43 percent at the ballot, according to unofficial results from the Ohio Secretary of State. Issue 1 would have elevated the threshold to amend the state Constitution to 60 percent. More than 3,000,000 Ohioans participated in the election, beyond even the highest estimates for voter turnout. Read CCV President Aaron Baer's statement.
  

• Murder on the ballot: On Tuesday, November 7, Ohioans will vote on a constitutional amendment that would permanently legalize abortion up to birth—including gruesome partial-birth abortion, remove parental consent for minors to receive abortions, outlaw hospital health and safety standards, and more. Secretary of State Frank LaRose has verified the signatures of the pro-abortion effort.

   

• Going up in smoke: There will also likely be a proposed statute on the November ballot to legalize recreational marijuana. Secretary of State Frank LaRose is currently verifying the final signatures from the pro-marijuana campaign. Center for Christian is opposed to filling Ohio communities with more drugs, especially as marijuana use comes with a host of known dangerous side effects, including impaired brain development, impaired memory, increased risk of pregnancy complications and fetal development issues, lung damage, and increased car accidents.

U.S.

• "Gender Care" exposed: U.S. Congressman Mike Johnson chaired a hearing on "The Dangers and Due Process Violations of 'Gender-Affirming Care' for Children." The committee discussed the rapid increase in these treatments on children and the potential harm they might cause. Testimony from individuals including Chloe Cole and Jennifer Bauwens, Ph.D., shed light on the increase in gender dysphoria among children, issues with "informed consent," and the rush to force gender transition procedures.
  

• Double standards: At the ceremonial signing of Texas' "Save Women's Sports Act" last week, trans activists assaulted women who supported the bill and even yelled profanity those in attendance, including children as young as 5. The violence escalated to the point that attendees were prevented from leaving, and law enforcement had to provide protection from the protestors.
  

• Wedded bliss: New research from the University of Chicago found that marriage is “the most important differentiator” of who is happy in America to the tune of a 30-percentage point gap over the unmarried and that the falling marriage rate explains the national decline in happiness. Read a brief synthesis of the marriage findings here.
  

• Religious freedom for the win: After being fired for engaging in premarital sex, a former Catholic school teacher sued her employer, alleging discrimination. However, because she was fired for violating the school's code of conduct, the New Jersey Supreme Court disagreed with her claims and ruled in favor of the school, arguing that religious organizations have the right to require their staff to adhere to certain faith-based principles.

Listen Up

On Tuesday, August 8, Ohioans voted roughly 57 percent to 43 percent against elevating the threshold to amend our state Constitution from a simple majority to 60 percent of the vote. We lost this opportunity to protect our state’s governing document from the deadly agenda of Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, and other radical pro-abortion groups as they attempt to create a right to abortion up to birth. But this isn't the end of the story.

On this emergency episode of The Narrative, CCV President Aaron Baer, Policy Director David Mahan, and Communications Director Mike Andrews unpack the Issue 1 vote.

Here are the next steps Aaron shared on the podcast:

1. Volunteer to help! Sign up to help us reach churches across Ohio.

2. Pray! You can order our free pro-life prayer devotional, More Than Conquerors: Six Weeks of Prayer for Ohio, Women, and Unborn Children, at CCV.org/LifeDevotional.

3. Donate! The truth is that we cannot do this work without the financial support of partners like you. Give a tax-deductible gift today at CCV.org/Donate!

4. BONUS step: While CCV is actively preparing for the election, let us know what resources you would like to see us produce by emailing us at contact@ccv.org.

The Fight for Life: What You Need to Know

In Ohio, we're in the fight of a lifetime to protect women, children, and unborn babies.

Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, and other radical pro-abortion, anti-parent organizations are pushing an amendment to our state Constitution that would permanently legalize abortion up to birth—including gruesome partial-birth abortion, remove parental consent for minors to receive abortions, and outlaw hospital health and safety standards. 

Because this is a proposed constitutional amendment, we won't get a second chance to try to improve the language or to try to enact any reasonable requirements to protect women and children. If we don't defeat this amendment, we will see upwards of 30,000 unborn children get brutally murdered each year in Ohio. We will see women get coerced into having abortions by their abusers. We will see more women get injured and even die from unsafe abortionist practices.

This isn't a right-vs-left political disagreement; it's a right-vs-wrong moral issue of the gravest importance. We cannot let this extreme amendment pass. 

 Here is how you can protect life in 2023:

1. Pledge to Be a Vote for the Voiceless to get urgent election updates and unite with Christians across Ohio to protect life this November!

2. Connect with CCV's County Captains campaign to help reach and educate Christians in all 88 Ohio counties. Medical professionals can join a special pro-life healthcare coalition.

3. Meet with your pastor and help educate and motivate your church to protect life.

4. Order our free pro-life devotional—More Than Conquerors: Six Weeks of Prayer for Ohio, the Unborn, and Women—for yourself, your church, your small group, or your friends and family.

5. Learn more about the proposed abortion amendment and read the ballot language.

6. Donate to CCV to support our efforts in educating and activating the Church.

7. Pray for the pro-abortion coalition to be divided and confused, for the darkness to be brought to light, for the truth to be compelling, and for the protection of women, children, and unborn babies.

Worldview Development

As a Christian, it can be hard to know how to engage with social-political conversations from a Biblical worldview. Here's our top recommendation this week for developing your worldview to be equipped to tackle today's top issues:

The Babies Invading Texas

The state of Texas is experiencing a surge in births, with nearly 10,000 more babies born after Senate Bill 8 took effect, compared to the previous year. Some mainstream news articles have declared this a tragedy, while others view it as a celebration of life. How you interpret this increase in Texan babies depends on your view of the humanity of the unborn.

Read the full article here.

Take Action: Make a Difference. Get in Touch.

Elected by voters like you, our state legislators are highly motivated to listen to their constituents. It only takes 60 seconds to make your voice heard by using our Action Center to learn about the critical bills being debated at the Ohio Statehouse and to urge your Ohio legislators to take action on:

• The Parents' Bill of Rights

• The SAFE Act

• The Save Women's Sports Act 

• The Backpack Bill

Elections

The November 7 General Election is critical for Ohio voters.

Important Dates

• Tuesday, October 10: Deadline for voter registration for the General Election

• Wednesday, October 11: Early voting begins for the General Election

• Tuesday, October 31: Applications for absentee ballots for the General Election must be received by Boards of Elections by close of business

• Tuesday, November 7: General Election Day*

To Do

1. Are you registered to vote? It's easy to register to vote or update your voter registration information online at olvr.ohiosos.gov.

2. Review what's on your ballot. Each county Board of Elections office has a list of the candidates and issues appearing on your ballot.

3. Learn more about Ohio elections, request an absentee ballot, and more here.

*Please note that in-person voting law has changed; a photo ID is now required to cast a ballot. View accepted forms of ID.

Don't Miss

• Prayer at the Statehouse
  Join us on Wednesday, September 13, from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm for this popular prayer event! Register today to join us.
  

• 2023 Ohio March for Life
  Join us for our second annual statewide march on Friday, October 6, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. Check out the details we have so far.

Prayer

Scripture calls us to pray for those in authority and to have confidence that God hears our prayers. Join the CCV team this week in praying for the below intentions.

• Our elected officials: Sen. Bill DeMora (D-Columbus), Rep. Sedrick Denson (D-Cincinnati), Governor Mike DeWine, and Rep. David Dobos (R-Columbus).

• The entire CCV team as we are leading a major pro-life campaign ahead of the November 7 General Election, as well as planning the second annual Ohio March for Life on Friday, October 6.

• Pray that the Lord would confuse the plans of the Enemy and bring to light the evils of abortion. If you're able to, we also encourage you to add prayerful fasting to your intercession on this critical issue.

That's all we have for this week. Be sure to keep an eye out for our next edition, and don't forget to share CCV's Rundown with others.