It's Wednesday, January 19, 2022.

I'm Albert Moller, and this is the briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.

We're going to start out today with two really huge stories with vast worldview implications.

One of them has to do with comments made in the United States by a native of Sri Lanka about China.

But the first story has to do with a direct threat to religious liberty not in China but here

in the United States and for that we have to go to the Indiana town of West Lafayette.

Steve West of World Magazine has the best coverage pointing out that Faith Church there in that

Indiana town has for 45 years operated a free biblical

counseling ministry for members of the community but now he tells us quote that

outreach is now threatened by a city council proposal that would penalize anyone who talked

with minors to help them overcome unwanted same-sex attraction or gender dysphoria end

quote. The issue at stake is a proposed ordinance identified as 3121, and that proposed

ordinance that has already been delayed twice but is coming up again would prohibit unlicensed persons from practicing what is described here as conversion

therapy with those who are under the age of 18.

And it comes with a big bite, a proposed penalty of up to $1,000 per day for those who violate the ordinance.

As West describes, quote, it defines conversion therapy as any practices or treatments that seek to change in individual's sexual orientation

or gender identity, including efforts to change gender expressions or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attractions or feelings toward

individuals of the same gender."

So what we are clearly looking at here is what we have seen in other jurisdictions,

including most recently in Canada also

legislation that is pending before Parliament in Britain. We're looking at a

direct collision between the autonomy of the local church, the freedom of gospel ministry, religious

...