Welcome to the Friday Five! Every Friday we share our top five articles, stories, and quotes for you to read and share with your friends and church families.

We would be very grateful if you could make a donation of $100, $50, $25, or $10 today towards our work producing these Friday Fives and fighting for your values on the public square!

1. OP-ED: CAROLINA JOURNAL: State Shouldn’t Seize Children from Parents Over Differing Gender Views

“The bill responds to a troubling trend across the United States: Parents losing custody of their children because they refused to support gender transition interventions. Courts have removed children from loving homes in Indiana, Ohio, California, and Illinois. This raises profound concerns about parental rights, religious freedom, and the well-being of children who suffer from gender dysphoria.

One of the best-known cases is that of Mary and Jeremy Cox from Indiana. In 2019 their teenage son, who had multiple mental health comorbidities, informed them that he identified as a girl. But the Coxes are devout Catholics who believe that God creates human beings either male or female, and therefore could not affirm an identity that was inconsistent with biology. Wanting to help their son, they sought out mental-health professionals to help him with his underlying mental-health problems.”

Read the op-ed: https://www.carolinajournal.com/opinion/state-shouldnt-seize-children-from-parents-over-differing-gender-views/

2. CROSSED OVER: NC Senate Passed the Parents Protection Act (SB 442)

On May 7th, the North Carolina Senate passed SB 442, the Parents Protection Act, on a 32 – 13 vote to shield parents who refuse gender transition interventions from losing custody and facing prosecution, and to facilitate adoptions. The bill now moves to the North Carolina House for consideration.

In response to a growing number of cases across the country where parents have lost custody of their children for not supporting gender-transition interventions, SB 442 establishes legal protections for biological and adoptive parents. The legislation ensures that raising a child according to biological reality cannot be considered child abuse or reason for loss of custody under North Carolina law.

Read our press release: https://ncvalues.org/pr-parents-protection-act-passes-in-nc-senate/

Watch our video: https://ncvalues.org/gender_custody_bill/

3. CROSSED OVER: NC House Passed the Civil Procedure Amendment (HB 606)

On May 6th, the Civil Procedure Amendment (HB 606), a bill aimed at protecting victims of gender transitioning, passed in the NC House by a vote of 69-41. The bill extends the statute of limitations for medical malpractice for gender transition procedures to 10 years after the minor’s 18th birthday. This will ensure that victims of gender transition procedures in North Carolina are able to receive appropriate relief for the injuries they have sustained.

Read our press release: https://ncvalues.org/pr-hb-606-passes-in-nc-house/

Watch our video: https://ncvalues.org/civil_procedure_bill/

4. CROSSED OVER: NC House Passed the Parents’ Medical Bill of Rights (HB 519)

On May 6th, the North Carolina House of Representatives passed HB 519, the Parents’ Medical Bill of Rights, on a 68-41 vote to restore the right of parents to make medical decisions for their children for serious health conditions including STDs, substance abuse, and mental health problems. The bill now moves to the North Carolina Senate for consideration.

North Carolina law currently allows minors to consent to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of STDs, substance abuse, and “emotional disturbance.” Because of this, parents are being left out of important medical decisions that may have life-changing ramifications, and the burden of managing those conditions is being left to children alone.

Read our press release: https://ncvalues.org/pr-parents-medical-bill-of-rights-passes-in-the-house/

Watch our video: https://ncvalues.org/medical_consent_bill/

5. CROSSED OVER: The NC House Passed Prevent Sexual Exploitation of Women and Minors (HB 805)—Unanimously!

On May 7th, the Prevent Sexual Exploitation of Women and Minors Act (HB 805), a bill aimed at ending exploitation in the pornography industry, passed in the North Carolina House of Representatives on a 113-0  unanimous vote. The bill now moves to the North Carolina Senate for consideration.

The “Prevent Sexual Abuse of Women and Minors Act” requires that pornography websites verify that people on their websites are at least 18 years old and have consented, in writing, to be there. It also makes a way for those who have been exploited by pornography websites to have content removed and provides significant financial penalties for violations.

Read our press release: https://ncvalues.org/pr-bill-requiring-age-verification-of-individuals-in-pornographic-images-passes-in-nc-house/

+2 BONUS: CROSSED OVER: Earlier, the NC House Passed the Newborn Safety Devices Act (HB 139) and the Promoting Wholesome Content for Students Act (HB 636)

On April 16th, the NC House passed House Bill 636 to solve the urgent problem of pornographic materials in NC public schools. The bill sets statewide standards for identifying and removing sexually explicit and pervasively vulgar materials from public school libraries. The goal of this legislation is to protect students from early sexualization and harmful psychological impacts of pornography exposure.

Then, on April 30th, the NC House passed the Newborn Safety Devices Act (HB 139) with bipartisan support! This life-saving bill expands our Safe Surrender Law by allowing baby boxes—secure, anonymous devices for infant surrender—giving desperate mothers a safe, legal pro-life alternative to abandonment.

Thank you to our NC Senators and Representatives who stood up for our pro-life, pro-family, and pro-religious freedom values and ensured these six bills made crossover!

The bills can now be considered for a vote by the opposite chamber before going to the Governor’s desk for a signature or a veto.

Read our press release: https://ncvalues.org/pr-nc-house-passes-hb-636-to-protect-students-from-sexually-explicit-materials-in-public-schools/

Watch our videos: https://ncvalues.org/baby-box-bill/ and https://ncvalues.org/wholesome/

Weekly Prayer: Freedom

LORD, you have blessed us with a spiritual liberty that is so wonderful and beyond description, that it can only be understood through experiencing a life-giving relationship with Christ. However, we also recognize that in your grace, you have blessed our country with a political liberty that enables us to openly proclaim the experience of a life lived in the freedom of the Gospel.

LORD, as individuals and as a nation, may we never take the inalienable right of religious freedom for granted. Right now our country has faced a rapid increase in the number of attacks made against this cherished right. We have seen groups across our public arena increase in boldness and frequency their smears against religious liberty. They claim it is bigotry, when we know it is the security of the greatest of all possible loves.

Be with your people and our country as it continues to protect the constitutional right protected by our nation’s Founders. Be with legislators and the Supreme Court, as they determine through their actions the protection of this particular and fundamental freedom. 

“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1)

“For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.” (Galatians 5:13)

“Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.” (1 Peter 2:16)

Amen

Sincerely,

Tami & Team

NC Values