Virginia’s Perfect Storm: How One-Party Rule Threatens Life, Liberty, and Law Enforcement

by Jeff Bayard | Virginia Christian Alliance

Democrats Now Control Everything—And Virginians Will Pay the Price

On January 17, 2026, Abigail Spanberger became Virginia’s 75th governor and first female chief executive. Within hours, she signed 10 executive orders reshaping state policy.

Within days, the Democrat-controlled General Assembly advanced four constitutional amendments that, if approved by voters in November 2026, will permanently

• enshrine abortion through birth,
• eliminate the biblical definition of marriage, 
• automatically restore voting rights to felons, without restitution to victims, regardless of the severity of the crime
• and allow Democrats to gerrymander congressional maps.

This is not an incremental change. This is a coordinated assault on Virginia’s heritage, values, and safety—executed with the efficiency of a party that knows it has unchecked power.

A Warning to Virginia Christians, Pastors, and Patriots

The Bible warns us in Proverbs 29:2: “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.”

Virginia is entering a season of mourning.

For the first time since Reconstruction, Democrats control the Governor’s mansion, the House of Delegates (64-36), and the State Senate (21-19). They wasted no time. On the very first day of the 2026 legislative session—January 14, just three days before Spanberger took office—the House Privileges and Elections Committee advanced all four constitutional amendments. The full House passed them the same day. The Senate followed suit within 48 hours.

This was not deliberation. This was execution.

As Christians, we must understand what is happening.

Romans 13:1-7 teaches that God ordains governing authorities for the purpose of punishing evil and rewarding good. But when government itself becomes the instrument of evil—when it enshrines the murder of the innocent, redefines what God Himself designed, and opens the door to lawlessness—the church cannot remain silent.

This article will examine Virginia’s perfect storm from multiple angles:

1. The Abortion Amendment (HJ1) – Enshrining murder through birth
2. The Marriage Amendment (HJ3) – Redefining God’s design and embedding gender ideology
3. The Voting Rights Amendment (HJ2) – Automatic restoration without discretion
4. The Redistricting Amendment – Partisan gerrymandering to seize congressional power
5. The ICE Cooperation Reversal – Endangering Virginians by shielding criminal illegal immigrants
6. The Cumulative Impact – Why these actions together spell disaster

PART 1: The Abortion Amendment – Doom for the Unborn

What HJ1 Actually Does

House Joint Resolution 1 (Herring/Boysko) passed its second reference in the 2026 legislative session. This means:

• Passed in 2025 General Assembly
• Passed again in 2026 General Assembly
• Next Stop: November 2026 ballot for Virginia voters

If Virginia voters approve HJ1, the state constitution will be amended to include this language:

“That every individual has the fundamental right to reproductive freedom, including the ability to make and carry out decisions relating to one’s own prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, abortion care, miscarriage management, and fertility care. An individual’s right to reproductive freedom shall not be, directly or indirectly, denied, burdened, or infringed upon unless justified by a compelling state interest achieved by the least restrictive means.”

The Deceptive Language

Notice the Orwellian term: “reproductive freedom.” This obscures what HJ1 actually does:

CURRENT VIRGINIA LAW:

• Requires three physicians’ approval for third-trimester abortions
• Requires health risks to be “substantially and irremediably” harmful before allowing abortion
• Provides meaningful oversight and accountability

HJ1 CHANGES THIS TO:

• ONE physician’s opinion is sufficient for third-trimester abortion
• Health risk standard changes to vague “physical or mental health” with no requirement of substantial or irremediable harm
• Anxiety, depression, financial stress—anything a single abortion provider deems “mental health” justification
• ONE doctor determines if the baby is “not viable” with zero oversight

Do you see what just happened?

Virginia went from requiring three independent medical opinions that continuing the pregnancy would cause substantial and irremediable harm… to allowing one abortion provider to end a viable baby’s life based on subjective “mental health” concerns.

This is not compromise. This is abortion on demand through all nine months; a viable baby can be killed.

The Biblical Reality

Scripture is unequivocal about the sanctity of life:

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” (Psalm 139:13-14)

David declares that God personally designs each human being in the womb—not as random biological tissue, but as an intentional act of divine craftsmanship. The Hebrew word translated “knit together” (sakak) means “to weave” or “to cover protectively.” God is actively forming each child with purpose and care.

Jeremiah 1:5 goes even further: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.”

God’s knowledge and purpose for each human being precedes even conception. This means abortion doesn’t just end potential life—it destroys a person whom God has known and purposed from eternity.

And what does God say about the shedding of innocent blood? Proverbs 6:16-17: “There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood…“

If there is any blood more innocent than that of an unborn child, Scripture doesn’t tell us what it is.

The Practical Consequences

HJ1’s vague language creates a cascade of devastating consequences:

1. Parental Consent Laws in Jeopardy

The amendment uses the term “individual”—not “adult” or “woman.” Republicans in the General Assembly repeatedly asked why this language was chosen. The answer became clear: once the constitution says “every individual” has a fundamental right to abortion that cannot be “burdened,” courts will strike down parental consent laws as unconstitutional burdens on minors’ rights.

Current Virginia law requires minors to obtain notarized parental consent 24 hours before an abortion. HJ1 eliminates this protection.

2. Health and Safety Standards Eliminated

The language prohibiting anything that “burdens” reproductive freedom will be used to challenge basic health and safety regulations at abortion facilities. Cleanliness standards? Burden. Emergency transfer agreements? Burden. Qualified medical staff? Burden.

HJ1 turns Virginia into the Wild West of abortion provision.

3. Taxpayer-Funded Abortion

While the Hyde Amendment currently blocks federal Medicaid funding for most abortions, state constitutional amendments in other jurisdictions have been interpreted to require state Medicaid coverage. Once abortion becomes a “fundamental right” that cannot be “burdened,” courts will rule that denying Medicaid coverage constitutes an unconstitutional burden.

Virginians will be forced to fund what God calls murder.

4. Virginia Becomes an Abortion Destination State

Look at the map. North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, Kentucky—all have significant abortion restrictions post-Dobbs. Virginia is already seeing an influx of out-of-state abortion patients.

If HJ1 passes, that flood becomes a tsunami. Women from across the South will travel to Virginia for third-trimester abortions that would be illegal in their home states.

More babies will die. And Virginia Christians will bear the moral weight of their silence.

The Stakes: Permanence

Here’s what makes constitutional amendments uniquely dangerous: they’re nearly impossible to reverse.

Regular laws can be repealed by a simple majority vote in the General Assembly. Constitutional amendments require:

• Passage by both chambers in two consecutive legislative sessions
• A House of Delegates election between the two passages
• Voter approval on the ballot

Even if Virginia elects pro-life majorities in the future, even if the Supreme Court overturns all abortion precedents, Virginia will still have constitutional protection for abortion through birth.

This is why Democrats are pushing so hard right now. They want to lock in abortion permanently while they have power—knowing that reversing a constitutional amendment is a multi-year, multi-election battle that may never succeed.

What God Requires of Us

Proverbs 24:11-12 speaks directly to this moment:

“Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, ‘But we knew nothing about this,’ does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay everyone according to what they have done?”

We cannot claim ignorance. We cannot say we didn’t know. The information is here. The threat is real. The question is: what will we do?

PART 2: The Marriage Amendment – Redefining God’s Design

What HJ3 Actually Does

House Joint Resolution 3 (Sickles/Ebbin) would:

1. Repeal the 2006 Marshall-Newman Amendment (approved by 57% of Virginia voters) which defined marriage as “only a union between one man and one woman”

2. Replace it with language establishing: “Marriage is one of the vital personal rights essential to the orderly pursuit of happiness. This Commonwealth and its political subdivisions shall not deny the issuance of a marriage license to two adult persons seeking a lawful marriage on the basis of the sex, gender, or race of such persons.”

The Trojan Horse: “Sex” vs. “Gender”

Most Virginians will read HJ3 and think: “This is just about same-sex marriage, which is already legal since Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015. Why does this matter?”

Here’s why it matters: Notice HJ3 uses BOTH “sex” AND “gender” as separate categories.

Why include both terms if they mean the same thing? Because in modern progressive ideology, they DON’T mean the same thing:

• “Sex” = biological reality (male/female)
• “Gender” = subjective self-identification (man/woman/nonbinary/etc.)

By separating these terms in Virginia’s Constitution, HJ3 creates a legal framework where Virginia cannot “discriminate” based on someone’s self-identified “gender”—even when it contradicts their biological sex.

This opens the door to:

• Men who identify as women accessing women’s bathrooms, locker rooms, and domestic violence shelters
• Biological males competing in women’s sports and taking girls’ scholarships
• Legal challenges to any sex-based distinction in Virginia law as “gender discrimination”
• Precedent for “gender identity” protections across all areas of Virginia law

The Family Foundation of Virginia warns: “HJ9 would redefine marriage and divide the concept of ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ in the Constitution, paving the way for a right to biological boys to both enter the locker rooms of girls and take their spots on sports teams.”

They’re not being hyperbolic. They’re reading the legal implications.

What Scripture Says About Marriage

God’s Word is crystal clear:

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply…'” (Genesis 1:27-28)

Marriage exists because God created humanity male and female—two distinct, complementary sexes designed for union. This binary is not a social construct. It’s biological reality reflecting the image of God.

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24)

Jesus Himself quoted this passage in Matthew 19:4-6, affirming God’s design: “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Marriage is:

• One man (male)
• One woman (female)
• One flesh (covenant union)
• For life (“let not man separate”)

This isn’t Jeff Bayard’s opinion. This isn’t religious preference. This is God’s revealed design from creation, before sin entered the world, affirmed by Jesus Christ Himself.

Ephesians 5:31-32 reveals why this matters so much: “‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.”

Marriage between a man and a woman is a living picture of Christ’s relationship with His church. To redefine marriage is to distort the gospel itself.

The Obergefell Trap

Some Christians have been lulled into complacency: “The Supreme Court already decided this in 2015. Same-sex marriage is legal nationwide. What’s the point of fighting a state constitutional amendment?”

Here’s the point:

Supreme Court precedents can be overturned. Roe v. Wade stood for 49 years before Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization reversed it in 2022. Justice Clarence Thomas explicitly stated in his Dobbs concurrence that the Court should reconsider Obergefell, Lawrence v. Texas, and Griswold v. Connecticut—all cases decided on similar substantive due process grounds.

If Obergefell falls:

• States with constitutional protections for same-sex marriage (like HJ3 would create) will maintain it
• States without such protections could return to their pre-Obergefell laws

HJ3 isn’t about protecting what exists. It’s about permanently locking in same-sex marriage—and embedding gender ideology—so that even if SCOTUS reverses course, Virginia can never return to God’s design.

The 2006 Voter Mandate

In 2006, 57% of Virginia voters approved the Marshall-Newman Amendment defining marriage as one man and one woman. This wasn’t a close vote. This was a clear majority of Virginians affirming biblical marriage.

Now, without asking voters if they want to embed “gender identity” protections in the constitution, Democrats are erasing the people’s will and replacing it with language that separates biological sex from gender identity.

This is not democracy. This is ideological colonization.

What This Means for Religious Liberty

HJ3 includes a clause allowing clergy to refuse to perform marriages. Democrats tout this as protecting religious freedom.

It protects nothing.

What about the baker who believes God designed marriage for one man and one woman? What about the florist? The photographer? The adoption agency? The Christian counselor? The business owner?

HJ3 says NOTHING about their rights. And we’ve seen what happens in states with similar amendments:

• Colorado: Jack Phillips, the baker in Masterpiece Cakeshop, faced years of litigation and harassment
• Washington: Barronelle Stutzman, a florist, was sued into bankruptcy for declining to provide flowers for a same-sex wedding
• Multiple states: Christian adoption agencies forced to close rather than place children with same-sex couples

This is coming to Virginia. And HJ3 provides zero protection.

PART 3: The Voting Rights Amendment – Automatic Restoration Without Discretion

What HJ2 Does

House Joint Resolution 2 (Bennett-Parker/Locke) would automatically restore voting rights to individuals convicted of felonies upon their release from incarceration, eliminating the current requirement that the governor individually restore rights.

The Constitutional Question

Currently, Virginia’s Constitution states that individuals convicted of felonies lose their civil rights—including voting—unless restored by the governor. This follows the principle that certain serious crimes forfeit certain civil privileges until the person demonstrates rehabilitation.

Democratic governors (McAuliffe, Northam, now Spanberger) have restored rights to thousands of individuals. Republican Governor Youngkin significantly slowed this process, requiring individual petitions and reviews.

HJ2 removes all executive discretion. The moment someone completes their sentence—regardless of the crime, regardless of rehabilitation, regardless of restitution to victims—voting rights are automatically restored.

The Biblical Perspective on Justice

Scripture establishes clear principles about crime, punishment, and restoration:

On the seriousness of crime: “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his image.” (Genesis 9:6)

God established civil government with the authority to punish evil, including capital punishment for murder. This demonstrates that serious crimes have serious consequences that extend beyond mere rehabilitation.

On restoration: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

God offers complete restoration through Christ. But notice the condition: confession (repentance). Restoration follows genuine repentance and transformation.

On the role of government: “For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.” (Romans 13:4)

Government’s role is to punish evil and reward good. This includes determining when someone who committed serious crimes has demonstrated sufficient change to restore full civil participation.

The Conservative Case Against Automatic Restoration

I want to steel-man the opposing view before addressing it.

Proponents of HJ2 argue:

1. Completion of sentence means debt paid: If someone has served their time, they have paid their debt to society and should have rights restored

2. Discriminatory application: The current system gives governors too much discretion, leading to racial and political disparities in who gets rights restored

3. Reintegration: Automatic restoration helps formerly incarcerated individuals reintegrate into society as full citizens

These are not trivial concerns. The current system IS subject to gubernatorial whim. There ARE racial disparities in our criminal justice system. Reintegration IS important.

However, HJ2’s approach has serious problems:

1. Not all crimes are equal

Should the murderer who shows no remorse automatically get voting rights restored the day he’s released? Should the serial rapist? The child predator? The person convicted of treason?

Automatic restoration makes no distinction between the reformed first-time offender and the unrepentant violent criminal.

2. Rehabilitation vs. punishment completion

Serving time is not the same as demonstrating rehabilitation. Someone can complete a sentence while remaining a danger to society and showing no evidence of change.

3. Victims’ rights

Many victims and their families object to seeing their victimizers immediately restored to full civil privileges without any demonstration of restitution or remorse.

4. Constitutional design

The Framers intentionally gave governors pardon and restoration power to ensure individualized justice. Removing all discretion eliminates this important constitutional function.

A Better Approach

Virginia could create a streamlined, transparent process with clear criteria:

• Automatic restoration for non-violent felonies after sentence completion
• Petition process for violent felonies requiring demonstration of rehabilitation
• Published standards so the process is not arbitrary
• Expedited review to prevent unnecessary delays

This balances automatic restoration for less serious crimes with appropriate discretion for serious violent offenses.

But Democrats rejected this approach. They want automatic restoration across the board, with zero distinction between crimes or criminals.

PART 4: The Redistricting Amendment – Partisan Gerrymandering for Power

What This Amendment Does

This is the most cynical of the four amendments. Democrats want to allow the General Assembly to redraw Virginia’s congressional districts mid-decade—something currently prohibited.

Why? Because Virginia currently has 6 Democrats and 5 Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives. Democrats believe they can redraw the maps to capture up to 4 more seats, potentially giving them a 9-3 or even 10-1 advantage.

This isn’t about fair representation. This is about naked power.

The Timing Tells the Story

In 2020, Virginia voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment creating the Virginia Redistricting Commission—a bipartisan body designed to end partisan gerrymandering.

The Commission drew maps in 2021 for the 2022 elections. These maps were supposed to last the entire decade.

But Democrats didn’t like the results. So now, just 4 years later, they want to blow up the system Virginia voters created and let politicians draw their own districts again.

The Republican National Committee called this exactly what it is: “This is just the most recent example of Democrats’ multi-decade campaign to gerrymander in every state where they gain power. This is exactly why red states are fighting back to level the playing field after years of states like Illinois, New York, and California drawing their districts to disenfranchise Republicans.”

Why This Matters Nationally

The U.S. House has a narrow Republican majority: 218-215 (with vacancies). If Virginia Democrats successfully gerrymander 3-4 additional seats, they could flip control of the entire U.S. House of Representatives in 2026.

This affects every American, not just Virginians.

The Biblical Principle

Proverbs 11:1: “A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight.”

God hates dishonest scales—measures designed to cheat people out of what is rightfully theirs. Gerrymandering is exactly this: manipulating district boundaries to predetermine electoral outcomes regardless of actual voter preferences.

This violates the principle of representative government itself.

PART 5: The ICE Cooperation Reversal – Shielding Criminal Illegal Immigrants

What Spanberger Did

On her first day in office—January 17, 2026—Governor Spanberger signed Executive Order No. 10, rescinding former Governor Youngkin’s Executive Order No. 47 (2025).

Youngkin’s order: Required Virginia State Police to enter into 287(g) agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), allowing state troopers to assist federal immigration enforcement

Spanberger’s order: Rescinds this requirement, declaring that state and local law enforcement should NOT “divert their limited resources to enforce federal civil immigration laws”

What This Actually Means

Clarification: Spanberger’s order does NOT automatically terminate the 32 existing 287(g) agreements in Virginia. However, it:

1. Removes the requirement that Virginia State Police participate
2. Signals to local jurisdictions that cooperation with ICE is discouraged
3. Gives Spanberger authority to terminate agreements at will

The Real-World Consequences

From the Youngkin administration’s 287(g) program (begun in early 2025), ICE detained over 6,200 people in Virginia as of November 2025.

Many of these were individuals who had committed crimes in Virginia AFTER entering the country illegally. The 287(g) program allowed Virginia law enforcement to identify these individuals during routine interactions and turn them over to ICE for removal proceedings.

Now, that cooperation is ending.

Here’s what this means in practice:

Scenario 1: Virginia State Police pull over a driver for speeding. The driver has no license and admits he’s in the country illegally. He also has a prior conviction for domestic violence in another state.

• Under Youngkin’s policy: VSP would notify ICE, who would place a detainer and take custody for removal proceedings
• Under Spanberger’s policy: VSP gives him a ticket and sends him on his way

Scenario 2: Local sheriff’s deputies arrest someone for breaking and entering. During booking, they discover he’s an illegal immigrant with prior deportations and gang affiliations.

• Under Youngkin’s policy: Sheriff notifies ICE, who places a detainer
• Under Spanberger’s policy: Sheriff books him, he posts bail, and he’s back on the street

Scenario 3: Woman calls 911 reporting domestic violence. When deputies arrive, the abuser flees. They later identify him as an illegal immigrant with multiple prior assaults.

• Under Youngkin’s policy: If located, ICE is notified and can take custody
• Under Spanberger’s policy: Local resources used for manhunt, but even if caught, no ICE notification

The Biblical Responsibility of Government

Romans 13:1-4 establishes government’s God-ordained role:

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God… For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.”

Government exists to punish evil and protect the innocent. When government refuses to enforce immigration law—particularly against individuals who have committed additional crimes after entering illegally—it abdicates this God-given responsibility.

The “Compassion” Argument

Spanberger and her allies frame this as compassion: “Virginia is for lovers. We won’t tear families apart.”

Let me steel-man this argument: Many illegal immigrants came here seeking better lives for their families. They work hard, pay taxes, contribute to communities. Enforcing immigration law against people who have been here for years, raised children here, built lives here—this does separate families and create real human suffering.

I acknowledge this reality. Immigration enforcement does create hard cases and genuine hardship.

But here’s the problem with the “compassion” argument:

1. It ignores the rule of law

Every nation has borders. Every nation has immigration laws. Allowing people to violate those laws with impunity is not compassion—it’s anarchy.

2. It creates perverse incentives

When illegal entry is rewarded with non-enforcement, MORE people attempt illegal entry. This creates MORE dangerous border crossings, MORE deaths in the desert, MORE human trafficking, and MORE strain on American communities.

3. It disrespects legal immigrants

Millions of people wait years—sometimes decades—to immigrate legally. They follow the rules, pay the fees, learn English, study for citizenship tests. Giving illegal immigrants a pass insults everyone who did it the right way.

4. It endangers Americans

THIS IS THE KEY POINT. Spanberger’s policy doesn’t just affect immigration enforcement—it specifically shields criminal illegal immigrants from consequences.

If someone enters illegally but commits no other crimes, they likely won’t interact with state/local police. The 287(g) program primarily catches people who have ALREADY committed additional crimes in Virginia.

By ending cooperation with ICE, Spanberger is choosing to protect criminal illegal immigrants over Virginia citizens.

The Stakes: Public Safety

House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore (R-Scott County) responded immediately:

“This decision allows criminal illegal immigrants to remain in our communities and commit crimes over and over again by shielding them from cooperation with federal law enforcement. That is not public safety. Virginians expect their governor to stand with law enforcement and put public safety first. This action does the opposite, and I strongly oppose it.”

Senate Minority Leader Ryan McDougle (R-Hanover) added:

“She’s moving to weaken law enforcement’s ability to hold violent illegal criminals accountable.”

They’re not exaggerating.

When Virginia law enforcement can’t notify ICE about criminal illegal immigrants, those individuals remain in Virginia communities. And history shows they often re-offend:

• The individual deported multiple times who returns and commits rape
• The gang member with previous violent convictions who commits murder
• The drunk driver with no license who kills a family in a car accident

These are not hypotheticals. These happen. And Spanberger’s policy makes Virginia a safer haven for exactly these individuals.

The Federal vs. State Argument

Spanberger’s order claims: “Federal authorities should enforce federal civil immigration laws—law enforcement in the Commonwealth should prioritize the safety and security of all residents in Virginia.”

This is a red herring.

Nobody is asking Virginia State Police to patrol the border. Nobody is suggesting local sheriffs conduct immigration raids. The 287(g) program simply allows state/local law enforcement to NOTIFY federal authorities when they encounter criminal illegal immigrants during the course of their normal duties.

This takes approximately 5 minutes and often happens while the individual is already in custody. The “diversion of resources” argument is absurd.

What ACTUALLY diverts resources is:

• Re-arresting the same criminal illegal immigrant multiple times
• Investigating crimes committed by individuals who should have been deported
• Providing emergency services for victims of crimes that never should have happened

PART 6: The Cumulative Impact – Why This Is a Perfect Storm

Now step back and look at what’s happening in Virginia:

1. ABORTION THROUGH BIRTH – Enshrined in the constitution, nearly impossible to reverse

2. GENDER IDEOLOGY EMBEDDED – “Sex” and “gender” separated, opening floodgates for transgender policies

3. AUTOMATIC FELON VOTING – No discretion, no distinction between crimes

4. PARTISAN GERRYMANDERING – Democrats redrawing maps to seize congressional power

5. SANCTUARY STATE POLICIES – Shielding criminal illegal immigrants from federal law enforcement

This isn’t random. This isn’t coincidence. This is a coordinated agenda executed the moment Democrats gained full control.

And every single one of these policies violates biblical principles:

• HJ1 violates the sanctity of life (Genesis 1:27, Psalm 139)
• HJ3 violates God’s design for marriage (Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:4-6)
• The redistricting violates just weights and measures (Proverbs 11:1)
• The ICE policy violates government’s duty to punish evil (Romans 13:4)

What Makes This Uniquely Dangerous

Three factors converge to make this moment uniquely perilous:

1. Constitutional Amendments = Permanence

Regular laws can be repealed. Constitutional amendments require:

• Passage in two consecutive legislative sessions
• A House election between passages
• Voter approval

Even when Virginia elects conservative majorities in the future, these amendments will remain. Reversing them would take YEARS and multiple election cycles.

2. Supermajority Control = No Checks

Democrats control:

• Governor’s mansion
• House of Delegates (64-36)
• State Senate (21-19)

There is NO institutional check on their power. They can pass anything they want.

3. Ballot Timing = Strategic Advantage

All four amendments go to voters in November 2026—a midterm election when Democratic base turnout is typically strong and many conservatives stay home.

Democrats are not stupid. They chose this timing deliberately.

The Spiritual Reality

Ephesians 6:12 reminds us: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

This is spiritual warfare.

The enemy seeks to:

• Destroy life (HJ1 – abortion)
• Pervert design (HJ3 – marriage/gender)
• Undermine justice (HJ2, redistricting, ICE)
• Silence the church (through all of the above)

Every one of these policies pushes Virginia further from God’s truth and deeper into rebellion.

And where is the pulpit?

Where are the pastors? Where are the sermons on the sanctity of life, biblical marriage, God’s design for government?

Nowhere.

The pulpit has failed. Again.

But the citizen does not have to fail.

PART 7: What Christians Must Do NOW

1. SUBMIT PUBLIC COMMENTS

The House Privileges and Elections Committee is accepting public comments on all four constitutional amendments:

Submit here: https://hodspeak.house.virginia.gov/committees/H18/bill_feedback?ses=261

Sample Comment on HJ1 (Abortion):

“I am writing in strong opposition to HJ1. Virginia currently requires three physicians’ approval for third-trimester abortions on fully-formed, viable babies, with health risks required to be ‘substantially and irremediably’ harmful. HJ1 reduces this to ONE physician’s opinion and removes the ‘substantially and irremediably’ standard entirely, replacing it with vague ‘mental health’ justification. This means fully viable babies can be aborted based on anxiety, stress, or depression, with no meaningful oversight. As a Christian who believes every human being is created in God’s image from conception (Genesis 1:27, Psalm 139:13-14), I cannot support enshrining the murder of innocent children in our constitution. Vote NO on HJ1.”

Sample Comment on HJ3 (Marriage):

“I am writing in opposition to HJ3. By separating ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ in Virginia’s Constitution, this amendment embeds gender ideology into our highest legal document. Once the Constitution says Virginia cannot ‘discriminate’ based on ‘gender,’ courts will use this language to require women’s spaces to admit biological men, girls’ sports to include biological males, and any policy recognizing biological sex will be challenged as unconstitutional. Additionally, God established marriage in Genesis 2:24 as the covenant union of one man and one woman, affirmed by Jesus in Matthew 19:4-6. Virginia voters approved this definition 57% to 43% in 2006. Vote NO on HJ3.”

2. DEMAND YOUR PASTOR ADDRESS THIS FROM THE PULPIT

If your pastor has not preached on the sanctity of life, biblical marriage, or the church’s responsibility to engage culture, ask him why.

Send him this article. Share it on social media. Tag your church.

The pulpit’s silence is consent.

3. CONTACT YOUR STATE LEGISLATORS

Find your delegates and senators here: https://whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov/

Call their offices. Email them. Show up at town halls.

Tell them:

• Vote NO on HJ1, HJ2, HJ3, and the redistricting amendment
• Oppose any legislation that shields criminal illegal immigrants
• Stand for life, biblical marriage, law and order, and fair elections

4. EDUCATE YOUR CHURCH AND COMMUNITY

Most Christians have no idea what’s happening. They don’t know:

• That HJ1 allows third-trimester abortion with one doctor’s approval
• That HJ3 separates “sex” from “gender”
• That the ICE policy shields criminal illegal immigrants

TELL THEM.

• Share this article on Facebook, X (Twitter), email
• Print copies and hand them out at church
• Host a small group discussion on Christian civic engagement
• Organize a prayer meeting for Virginia

5. PREPARE FOR THE BALLOT FIGHT

If the amendments pass the General Assembly (which they will), the battle moves to November 2026.

We have 10 months to educate Virginia voters about what these amendments actually do.

This requires:

• Grassroots organizing in every county
• Churches mobilizing their congregations to vote
• Clear, compelling messaging that cuts through the “reproductive freedom” and “marriage equality” propaganda
• Massive turnout of conservative voters

We cannot win this without the church.

6. PRAY

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Specific Prayer Points:

• Pray for conviction to fall on Virginia legislators
• Pray for courage for pastors to speak truth
• Pray for Christians to wake up and engage
• Pray for the protection of unborn children
• Pray for God to defend His design for marriage
• Pray for Virginia’s safety as ICE cooperation ends
• Pray for God to expose deception and shine light on truth
• Pray for God’s will to be done in November 2026

Prayer is not a substitute for action. It is the foundation for effective action.

PART 8: The Hope That Grounds Us

This article has been heavy. The threats are real, the stakes are high, and the political landscape looks bleak.

But we do not place our hope in political outcomes.

Psalm 2:1-4: “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, ‘Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.’ He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.“

God is not wringing His hands over Virginia’s political situation. He is not surprised by Abigail Spanberger’s executive orders or the Democratic supermajority’s constitutional amendments.

God is sovereign. He ordains the rise and fall of nations (Daniel 2:21). He establishes authorities and removes them (Romans 13:1). He works all things—even evil—for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).

This does NOT mean we should be passive. God’s sovereignty is the very reason we can fight with confidence, knowing that:

• Our faithfulness matters more than our success
• God can use our obedience even when we “lose.”
• No policy can thwart God’s eternal purposes
• Christ has already won the ultimate victory

2 Corinthians 4:8-9: “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.”

And ultimately, we know how this story ends:

Revelation 11:15: “Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.'”

Jesus is coming back. He will make all things right. Every abortion will be accounted for. Every perversion of His design will be judged. Every injustice will be rectified.

Until then, we are called to be faithful witnesses in a dark world.

Matthew 5:13-16: “You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden… Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

This is our calling:

• Speak truth even when it costs us
• Defend the vulnerable even when it’s unpopular
• Stand for righteousness even when we stand alone
• Trust God even when we can’t see the path forward

The pulpit has failed. But you don’t have to.

Resources

Submit Public Comments

https://hodspeak.house.virginia.gov/committees/H18/bill_feedback?ses=261

Find Your Virginia Legislators

• Who is My Legislature

Pro-Life Organizations in Virginia

• Virginia Society for Human Life: (LINK)
• Virginia for PreBorn Justice: (LINK)

Family Policy Organizations

• The Family Foundation of Virginia: (LINK)

Jeff Bayard’s Related Articles

• The Pulpit is Responsible Series
• Sanctity of Life Articles
• Biblical Sexuality
• Our Nation Under God

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Jeff Bayard is Content Manager at Virginia Christian Alliance, where he champions biblical values and constitutional principles. Read more from Jeff here.