to assist with the needs of women with unplanned pregnancies.
Ohio Christian Alliance, PO Box 3076, Akron OH 44309 (330) 887-1922
OCA Celebrating 30 Years of Service
The Ohio Christian Alliance 30th Anniversary Celebration was a huge success. We want to thank our Event Sponsors, Program Sponsors, and Table Sponsors that helped make the event a special time of reflection and encouragement to carry on the mission of advocating for life, faith, and freedom in the public square.
Religious Exemptions on COVID Vaccine with Mat Staver of Liberty Counsel
Health care workers across the state are facing the real prospect of employment termination due to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate, issued by hospitals, medical clinics, and other health care facilities in recent weeks. This will affect thousands of health care workers across Ohio, who last year were the frontline heroes of the COVID-19 pandemic, but are now being threatened with termination if they do not take the vaccine. Many cannot take it, due to health reasons, personal reasons, or religious conscience. Mat Staver discusses with us that this is a nationwide problem and is about to affect us all with the lack of quality of health care as a result. Mat gives some practical pointers on how to file for a religious exemption. The Liberty Counsel law firm stands ready to help people of faith with this growing crisis. Video from Liberty Counsel
16. These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
17. A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18. An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
19. A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
Let us pray…
Our Heavenly Father, we are in a day when men are speaking lies and sowing discord among your people. The proliferators of hate are having their way in our nation at this time. But your Word declares “How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.” We seek unity and peace with our fellow man, but there are those who seek to divide us and sow discord. We freely admit to You that we are incapable in and of ourselves to accomplish unity and reconciliation. We need your wisdom and grace to guide us.
We look to the example of your servant President Abraham Lincoln who served our nation in a time of great divide when his fellow countrymen were literally killing each other on battlefields across the country. During those days of conflict and war, President Lincoln had a recurring dream. He saw himself on a fast ship, moving quickly to an indefinite shore. The President had this dream again as he urged Congress to pass the 13th Amendment before the close of the war that would abolish slavery. When the President spoke of the abolition of slavery, he stated, “Fellow citizens, we cannot escape history. We of this Congress and this Administration will be remembered in spite of ourselves. No personal significance or insignificance can spare one or another of us.” The President in his dream saw the shore on which all men will live free.
Your servant Martin Luther King, Jr., also had a dream that he would live in a nation where his children would not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. We seek to advance the dreams of President Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. Now we ask that you bless this gathering tonight in our time and fellowship together. This we ask this all in Christ’s name. Amen. – OCA President Chris Long Invocation at the Summit County Lincoln Day Dinner 2021
Ohio Christian Alliance presents Treasurer of State Robert Sprague with a framed copy of the 10 Commandments for hanging in his office, also presented were State Auditor Keith Faber and SOS Frank LaRose. Since 2003 OCA has presented over 230 members of the Ohio General Assembly as well as Statewide officeholders and members of Congress with framed copies of the 10 Commandments for hanging in their offices.
OCA is Celebrating 30 Years of Service to the Citizens of Ohio
Mark your calendar for September 17th at the Akron/Fairlawn Hilton for this year's Freedom Banquet, celebrating 30 years of public policy, advocating for life, faith, and freedom in the public square. Details will be available in the coming weeks.
I oppose H.B. 73, and I urge you to oppose it, too. H.B. 73 would eliminate the end-of-course exams for American Government and American History. Ohio’s current curriculum requirement of teaching American Government and American History in grades 8-12 is a success story.
That success is due to the passage of S.B. 165, known as the Founding of America Documents Curriculum, in the 129th General Assembly in 2012. It requires the teaching of our Founding Documents, namely The U.S. Constitution with an emphasis on The Bill of Rights, The Northwest Ordinance, The Declaration of Independence, The Ohio Constitution, and the Federalist and Anti-Federalist papers in grades 8-12, with a half-credit hour for American Government and a half-credit hour for American History, with an end of course exam for each. This curriculum instructs our students about their rights and privileges in this representative form of government. Ohio high school students in recent years have scored higher proficiency test rates in American History and American Government than their counterparts in other states. This is due to the current curriculum, and the end-of-course exam requirement in both American Government and American History is the guarantee that the curriculum will be taught. At a time when our nation’s institutions are under assault and are being torn down, it makes no sense that the 134th General Assembly would even be considering reducing class instruction of our American History and American Government. Therefore, I urge you to oppose H.B. 73 that would diminish Constitutional Studies in the Ohio classroom.
A statement from the Ohio Christian Alliance concerning the Texas elections case before the U.S. Supreme Court
The Ohio Christian Alliance fully supports the Texas elections case currently before the U. S. Supreme Court. Ohioans turned out in historic numbers to vote in this year's Presidential Election. President Trump carried the state by eight percentage points. Ohio, for the last 60 years, has been a bellwether state; if you win Ohio, you win the Presidency. Ohioans watched closely as the returns came in on November 3rd and into the early morning hours of November 4th, only to witness an unprecedented shift in vote tallies in key battleground states, switching from President Trump to Mr. Biden. As the days and weeks went by with reports of widespread voter fraud and election fraud by hundreds of eyewitnesses, it became apparent that something went terribly wrong with this year's Presidential Election.
The voters of Ohio feel violated and disenfranchised by having their votes for President negated by the fraud that took place in other states. Watching state after state conduct hearings with sworn statements from eyewitnesses who attest, not just to voter fraud, but to election fraud in their states, Ohioans became concerned about the validity of the election. Many wondered what this would mean for future elections. If massive fraud was being allowed in other states such as Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, Nevada, and Wisconsin by not policing voter integrity, what would it mean for all future national elections? Many expressed that they had lost confidence in elections and wondered if they would bother voting in the future. This election has undoubtedly cast a dark shadow in the minds of many over voter confidence.
We are also saddened to see the courts in other states not take this matter of voter integrity seriously. Because many voters feel disenfranchised, we urge the U.S Supreme Court to review this complaint with Constitutional integrity and prudence, as it will undoubtedly affect millions who believe in one person one vote! We are heartened by the 18 other State Attorney Generals who have joined this lawsuit. We will be praying for the Court’s decision!
Medina, OH - Concerned Citizens of Medina City today submitted a protest appeal to the Medina County Board of Elections and the Ohio Secretary of State regarding the Medina City Ordinance 112-19 that was passed by Medina City Council on July 8, 2019. This ordinance is an LGBTQ comprehensive special rights ordinance. Citizens in the community of Medina had expressed concerns about the comprehensive nature of the ordinance before Medina City Council passed it.
Citizen volunteers with assistance of the Ohio Christian Alliance circulated a referendum petition to place the measure on the ballot. 1,173 signatures were gathered in just fourteen days. On July 31st, the citizens committee submitted the referendum petition in accordance with the Ohio Revised Code to City Finance Director Keith Durham. Mr. Durham held the petitions for ten days before submitting them to the Medina County Board of Elections for review. On August 12th the Board of Elections reported that they had invalidated 234 of the signatures. 983 signatures were needed to place the measure on the ballot. The Board determined that the referendum petition committee had 939 good signatures, 44 signatures short of what was needed.
The Ohio Christian Alliance made a public records request from the Medina County BOE and began a review with its attorneys of the Board’s findings. The Medina County Board of Elections officials had invalidated 59 signatures for what they called “non-matching signature.” In other words, these are registered voters in the City of Medina about whom the Board of Elections officials made a judgement call by stating that their signatures did not match what the Board had on file. The Concerned Citizens of Medina City Committee and its volunteers informed the petition signers whose signatures were rejected that the Board had invalidated their signatures for what they termed “non-matching”. These citizens were more than eager to sign sworn affidavits attesting to their identity, and that they had indeed signed the referendum petition and wanted it on the ballot.
This material proof has been submitted as testament that these signatures were valid and that these petition signers wrongfully had their signatures invalidated by the Board’s review. We are confident that upon further review, the referendum effort will be certified for the November 2020 ballot. It is important that the people’s right of referendum be upheld.
The Medina County Board of Elections on Monday reported to Medina City Finance Director Keith Dirham that the referendum petition effort on Ordinance 112-19, the LGBTQ Special Rights Ordinance, had fallen short of the signatures needed. However, OCA and its attorneys see discrepancies in the initial report. The Board invalidated 260 of the 1,173 signatures submitted. OCA President Chris Long made the following statement, “Today we officially made public records request for the complete report of the signature review by the Medina County Board of Elections. There are a number of questions concerning the initial report. We believe that upon further review enough signatures will be validated to place the measure on the ballot in November 2020. The Concerned Citizens of Medina City, along with the Ohio Christian Alliance and their attorneys will review and challenge the Board’s findings on the signatures they invalidated. We are confident that we will have enough signatures to be on the fall ballot of 2020. The residents of the City of Medina who are concerned about this new ordinance have a right to have their voices heard at the ballot box. We will fight for their right of representative government and for them to have their opportunity to vote. We are only 44 signatures away from certification for the referendum to be on the ballot. We are confident that the court will validate enough signatures for the referendum to be on the ballot and let the people decide.”
Government Accountability and Oversight Committee Passes HCR 10
Today, members of the Ohio Legislature took a positive step forward, pushing back against anti-Semitism by passing out of committee HCR 10, the resolution to condemn the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement against Israel and to condemn increasing incidents of anti-Semitism on Ohio college campuses.
OCA President Chris Long stated, "The Ohio Christian Alliance is pleased to lend its support to this resolution that Representatives Andy Thompson and David Greenspan, along with 25 other co-sponsors, have signed on to.
FDR’s D-Day Landing Prayer Act in observance of the anniversary is read on the U.S. Senate floor by Senators Rob Portman and Co-Sponsor Joseph Lieberman.
Founding of America Documents Bill Passes Ohio House and Senate in a Concurrence Vote and is Sent to Governor Kasich for His Signature
The Ohio Christian Alliance celebrates the passage of S.B. 165 in the Ohio House and Ohio Senate today. This legislation entitled “The Founding of America Documents Bill” will strengthen the language currently in the Ohio Revised Code pertaining to the American History and Government curriculum to include The Declaration of Independence, The Northwest Ordinance, The Constitution of the United States with emphasis on The Bill of Rights, The Ohio Constitution, the Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers.
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