ERLC Releases First State Policy Agenda, Alabama Ruling on Frozen Embryos & Spiritually Gifted for Vital Work

The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) has released its first state public policy agenda, which examines upcoming pieces of state legislation that are noteworthy.

ERLC President Brent Leatherwood spoke to the document’s importance amid the current political landscape.

“With dysfunction dominating Washington, more and more consequential decisions are being made at the state level,” Leatherwood said.

The guide covers legislative issues concerning life, religious liberty, marriage and family and human dignity. It can be found at ERLC.com.
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The Alabama Supreme Court ruled last week that frozen embryos are “children” for the purposes of a wrongful death lawsuit. The decision reverses two lower court rulings.

The suit involved three couples whose embryos, created through in vitro fertilization (IVF) at a fertility clinic in Mobile, were accidentally destroyed.

The embryos were stored in a cryogenic freezer at the clinic when in December 2020, another patient at the clinic somehow obtained access to the freezer through an unsecured door. The patient removed several embryos, and the subzero temperature of the embryos freeze-burned the patient’s hand. Five embryos dropped to the floor and were destroyed.

Many couples who have trouble conceiving use IVF, a process that combines sperm and egg in a petri dish. The resulting embryos are then either implanted in the woman or frozen. Doctors often create more embryos than necessary to allow for more chances at conception or for future children for the couple. The unused embryos can be stored for years. In this case, the youngest embryo killed had been in storage for four years.
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Every day, hundreds of thousands of people die without the hope of Jesus. Your faithful prayers will make a difference. That’s why the IMB created a free 18-month calendar, called “Impacting Lostness Through Prayer”. It provides guidance, reminders and encouragement as you pray for individuals and communities who have yet to hear the gospel. Learn more about this free resource at IMB.org/prayercalendar.
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Shadow Christians can feel unimportant and believe their contributions don’t matter, since they and their efforts reside behind the scenes and out of the spotlight. But in a Lifeway Bible Studay, Jeff Iorg, including himself among shadow Christians, asserts “God Values Us Highly.” Because others might not know who we are or what contribute make doesn’t mean God is likewise unaware. Quite the opposite, He knows fully. More than that, He values us and our contributions!

How do we know that? What evidence can we find to support that God values shadow Christians? To begin with, He made us “a kingdom of priests.” God had made provision for priests for His people beginning in the second book of the Bible. They were part of the spotlight group. But with Christ’s provision of salvation, we become part of “a holy priesthood” (1 Peter 2:5).

Some of the people we know won’t listen to or trust spotlight Christians, but God has given shadow Christians the opportunity to earn the trust and gain the ears of those unreceptive to spotlight Christians.