News You Should Know: U.S. Continues to Advance Global Religious Freedom

This week, President Trump addressed the U.N. General Assembly calling for more religious freedom across the globe. Plus, a New York psychotherapist describes why he challenged a New York City law that stood between him and his patients, a former Olympic athlete sounds the warning bell for female athletics, and a trial meant to convict a pro-life journalist shows us more ugly truths about abortion. All of this from the Alliance Alert team.

ADF in the News

New York Daily News: Why I fight NYC’s ‘conversion therapy’ ban: A psychotherapist says the city has limited his freedom as a mental health practitioner

Human sexuality can be complicated and sensitive, as New York psychotherapist Dovid Schwartz knows well. An Orthodox Jew, Dr. Schwartz is often sought by clients within his community to help them live consistently with their faith. As a psychotherapist, he listens and talks to his patients to help them work through issues as far-ranging as anxiety, depression, addiction, alcoholism, same-sex attraction, or gender confusion. The latter two categories, however, were put off-limits for discussion under a New York City law that purported to ban "conversion therapy." What the law actually does is insert the government into private conversations between Dr. Schwartz and his adult patients, censoring conversations in an unprecedented way. Dr. Schwartz writes why he decided to challenge the unconstitutional New York City law—which the city council is currently in the process of repealing.

Religious Freedom

The White House: Remarks by President Trump at the United Nations Event on Religious Freedom

In a first for any U.S. President, Donald Trump convened a meeting before the U.N. General Assembly to declare "with one clear voice" on behalf of Americans that religious persecution has to stop. President Trump emphasized that while religious freedom is a founding principal that Americans have enjoyed since their beginning, 80% of the world suffers from religious restriction or persecution. In order to enjoy "a peaceful, prosperous, and virtuous society," Trump called upon world leaders to prioritize religious freedom in their nations. You can read the entirety of President Trump's speech before the U.N. General Assembly courtesy of the White House.

Marriage and the Family

The Daily Caller: We Spoke With This Former Olympian About Transgender Athletes. Here’s What She Said

As the world’s biggest amateur stage, the Olympic games rely upon a fair playing field for both men and women. That environment won’t last long, however, according to former Olympic skier Rebecca Dussault. Speaking with The Daily Caller, Dussault says that if men identifying as women are allowed to compete in women's sports, Olympic records set by women will go up in an ideological smoke. Dussault, who now is an athletic trainer, says it's "a sad day for sport if we're just going to put up with this." She urges other female athletes, as well as their male counterparts, to speak out against letting biological males compete in women's athletics.

Sanctity of Life

The Washington Examiner: Abortion doctor admits sold baby parts often came from babies born alive

A trial meant to prosecute pro-life journalists is just showing us more ugly truths about the abortion industry. One abortionist, Forrest Smith—who claims to have aborted over 50,000 unborn children—testified that Planned Parenthood sold aborted baby parts for profit. He also admitted to the horrifying reality that the abortion giant often delivers babies alive, before killing them for the sake of "fresh and intact" body parts. Smith says he came to this conclusion based on a presentation at a 2014 Planned Parenthood conference in which one abortionist described a process that makes the baby "fall out" of the womb before its life has ended—a practice Smith says is extreme even for the abortion industry.

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