Penna Dexter

As we begin 2024, I want to offer a New Year’s prayer for our country. But frankly, it seems a little presumptuous to ask God’s blessing on this nation.

In boardrooms, in some states, and in the federal government, leaders are enacting rules and laws that force people to treat men as women and women as men.

Other states oppose this.

But, before 2023 even ended we received the disappointing news that prolife Ohio Governor Mike DeWine vetoed a bill that would protect minors from being given gender transition hormones and surgeries. The law would also bar physicians from prescribing cross-sex hormones or puberty blockers for the purpose of gender transition. Advocates of this protocol refer to it as “gender affirming care”.

HB 68, the SAFE Act, would also prevent biological males from competing in women’s sports.

The Daily Signal published strong reactions from leaders in the pro-family movement, including Ryan Anderson, President of the Ethics and Public Policy Center and author of “When Harry Became Sally,” one of the early books warning of the harms of the burgeoning transgender movement. Dr. Anderson said, “DeWine just vetoed an outstanding bill that protected the integrity, fairness, and safety of sports, and protected children from unethical medical attempts at the impossible — ‘affirming’ a sexual ‘identity’ at odds with reality.”

Since, HB 68 passed both houses of Ohio’s General Assembly with supermajorities, lawmakers could override the governor’s veto. Let’s put that in our New Year’s prayer.

We can and should pray for America. I’m going with this:

“'O God, the fountain of wisdom whose will is good and gracious and whose law is truth' (Book of Common Prayer), so guide our Senators and Representatives assembled in the General Assembly of Ohio (or the Legislatures of the other States, or the United States Congress) that they may enact laws pleasing in your sight, to the glory of your name and the welfare of this people. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.”