Center for Christian Virtue's The Rundown is the most important political and cultural news for Christians in Ohio. Thanks for reading this biweekly newsletter!

What's Happening

Ohio

• Luck is not a Lady: The DeWine administration has released the results of a new survey showing that one in five Ohioans–more than 1.8 million individuals–are now at-risk/problem gamblers. By age, 18-24 year olds were the largest percentage of at-risk/problem gamblers, and by marital status, married individuals were the smallest percentage while separated individuals were the largest percentage. Following the legalization of sports betting, Problem Gambling Helpline calls increased 66 percent. In an attempt to reduce the harm legalization is causing, the state is also running extensive and growing problem-gambling services, though the cost of those programs is unclear.
  

• No Oversight Here: Originally included in last year's State Operating Budget, US District Court Judge Algenon Marbley granted a preliminary injunction to prevent the CCV-backed Social Media Parental Notification Act from taking effect while a lawsuit filed against it goes through court. The law would have required parental consent for children under 16 to open social media accounts. Read a joint statement from Governor DeWine and Lt. Governor Husted.
  

• More Hollow Words: After vetoing the SAFE Act–which the General Assembly later voted to override–Governor DeWine initially signed executive orders as a watered-down replacement, which could easily be undone by the next governor. However, he is now rolling back what he initially proposed in his already-limited executive orders.
  

US

• Whose Best Interest? In a situation strikingly similar to what happened to a Cincinnati family in 2018, Montana Child and Family Services removed a young teen girl from her parents' custody because they did not wish her to undergo experimental and sterilizing wrong-sex hormone therapy for the purpose of "gender transitioning," though they were actively seeking other medical treatment to help their mentally troubled daughter. Their daughter was sent to live in Canada with her biological mother with whom she did not have an active relationship, and who may even have a history of physically and emotionally abusive behavior.
  

• Open-Border Consequences: Last year, the Biden administration changed the immigration processing bucket for religious workers–priests, nuns, and other faith leaders–to also include unaccompanied illegal minors. That single bucket only grants about 10,000 green cards a year, but 100,000 minors have been added, creating an impossible backlog for the religious workers whose visas are about to expire, which will affect thousands of churches and religious organizations across the US. For more context, listen to this episode of CCV's The Narrative podcast, "What's Going On at the Texas Border? With Lora Ries."

World

• The UK is Not OK: The UK, which routinely targets anyone suspected of silently praying pro-life prayers near abortion clinics, recently investigated the validity of a neurologist's medical opinion calling for more testing before ending nutrition and hydration in an end-of-life case. They claimed that his beliefs as a pro-life, Catholic priest biased–and therefore invalidated–his opinion as an experienced neurologist. The case began in 2021, but he was only cleared of the allegations earlier this month.
  

• Not Your Mother's Milk: The National Health Service, the publicly funded healthcare systems of the UK, recently stated in a letter that the drug-induced milk produced by men who identify as women is “comparable to that produced following the birth of a baby." One of the drugs used to induce lactation in men is domperidone, normally used to treat nausea, vomiting, and some gastrointestinal problems. However, drugs.com states that domperidone is not usually recommended when breastfeeding as it can pass through the milk to the nursing baby and may also cardiac issues in the baby, on top of the cardiac issues and other negative side effects the adult may face.

Listen Up

The Biblical Vision of the Political Good with Megan Basham: Megan Basham, a reporter for The Daily Wire, joins to discuss the intersection of the Church and politics, and the deception some financial backers are supporting to thwart true Christian discernment in living out our faith in the public square.

The Euthanasia Bait and Switch with Alex Schadenberg: Listen to find out how euthanasia proponents use personal freedom and peace of mind as a bait and switch to accomplish their financially-motivated goals without concern for life. 

Worldview Development

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

• The Awfulness of Elite Hypocrisy on Marriage by W. Bradford Wilcox
  "Yet many elites today—professors, journalists, educators, and other culture shapers—publicly discount or deny the importance of marriage, the two-parent family, and the value of doing all that you can to 'stay together for the sake of the children,' even as they privately value every one of these things. On family matters, they 'talk left' but 'walk right'—an unusual form of hypocrisy that, however well intended, contributes to American inequality, increases misery, and borders on the immoral."
  

• Deciding Who’s Better Off Dead by John Stonestreet and Shane Morris
  "Christianity alone, with its idea of the imago Dei, is capable of grounding human dignity for all and reforming societies that view its weaker, older, younger, and disabled members as disposable. If so-called 'quality of life' is all that matters, a systematic attempt to define and control 'quality is inevitable. In practice, such systems never become more restrictive about who is considered unworthy of life. The mass graves are eventually dug, though never at the beginning."

Legislative Update

While the House of Representatives and Senate have paused their full chamber sessions until after the Presidential Primary Election, individual Committees are still having hearings.

• HB339–Nonchartered Educational Savings Account Program
  House Bill 339 would provide a state-funded Educational Savings Account (ESA) for students enrolled in an Ohio non-chartered, non-public school beginning with the 2025-26 school year. Each ESA would be funded at 90 percent of the statewide average base cost per pupil for that school year. Troy McIntosh, Executive Director of CCV's Ohio Christian Education Network, testified in support of the bill during its second hearing in the House Primary and Secondary Education Committee. You can watch or read a transcript of his testimony.

Take a moment to review where other CCV-backed legislation currently stand in the 135th General Assembly.

Click here to learn how a bill becomes a law in Ohio.

Elections

Early in-person and mailed absentee voting begins TODAY–Wednesday, February 21–for the Presidential Primary Election on March 19.

Upcoming early in-person voting hours:

• 8:00 am - 5:00 pm, Wednesday, February 21 to Friday, February 23

• 8:00 am - 5:00 pm, Monday, February 26 to Friday, March 1

• 8:00 am - 5:00 pm, Monday, March 4 to Friday, March 8

Before you go, review what's on your ballot. Each county Board of Elections office has a list of the candidates and issues appearing on your ballot. 

You can also request an absentee ballot.

Resources & Opportunities

• CCV's OCEN Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO)
  Did you know that Ohio allows you to donate to a Christian or Catholic school scholarships, and receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit up to $750 per individual? CCV's Ohio Christian Education Network runs an SGO for our member schools.
  
  You can donate by April 15 and apply it to your 2023 taxes.
  

• Practical, Biblical Parenting Resources by Focus on the Family
  Focus on the Family high quality resources for parents of children at every stage, covering everything from tantrums and chores to social skills and the "Who am I" questions. You can sign up for specialized "weekly emails based on your child’s age and stage, and an annual email on your child’s birth month with deep, clinical, and downloadable content to help you guide your child toward a thriving life in Christ."

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. Steve Huffman (R-Tipp City), Rep. Latyna Humphrey (D-Columbus), Lt. Governor Jon Husted, Sen. Catherine Ingram (D-Cincinnati), Rep. Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati), and Rep. Dontavius Jarrells (D-Columbus).
  

• CCV will be producing a nonpartisan Voter Guide for the November General Election–pray for our staff and volunteers as they lay the groundwork now for this critical but extensive project.
  

• Continuing praying for all of the churches looking to launch schools–and change lives–this fall. Pray especially for favor in the legal process as they work with the State and local jurisdictions for licenses and approval, for financial security, and for abundant staffing to meet the needs of the children.

As Ohio’s largest Christian public policy organization, Center for Christian Virtue seeks the good of our neighbors by advocating for public policy that reflects the truth of the Gospel. 

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