Dear Friends,
Self-professed atheists like Bill Maher and Richard Dawkins often say that Christianity is an absurd religion that believes in things like “talking snakes.” While it’s lamentable that Maher and Dawkins feel the need to take Scripture passages out of context to prop up straw man arguments, I often wonder what they would say in response to profound Christian witness that gets to the heart of why our faith is the Truth.
I came across an example of this kind of witness recently from Fr. Peter John Cameron, O.P., who makes this penetrating insight about the nature of our God and how He conforms to the natural desires of our hearts:
If you look into your heart and consider the kind of god you deem ideal, what you come up with is Jesus. Given the chance to custom order the divinity who best satisfies the desires of our heart, we would design a deity tender and compassionate, whose joy was to accompany us as a friend in our earthly travails. We would want a god infinitely wise, eager to teach us the things we need to know in order for life to be filled with meaning and joy. We would insist on a god who was merciful and ever swift to forgive our sins… one with a special preference for the poor and the needy. We would want a god of perfect peace, promising happiness, blessing us with hope… one who was extravagantly generous and totally giving of self. We would want a god who was in love with us.
But, in fact, when we meet such a man in Jesus Christ, we can’t help but to respond the way people in the Gospel do: Where did this man get all this? Don’t we know his father and mother? Isn’t this the son of the carpenter? Which means that the automatic impulse when we meet Jesus Christ is to presume that what makes him so unique and exceptional—unlike anyone else we have ever met—is his Father.
The Son of God exposes our presumption: You know me and also know where I am from. Yet I did not come on my own, but the one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true (Jn 7:28). The more we gaze upon Jesus Christ in all his ineffable goodness, the more we are compelled to cry with Philip, Show us the Father (Jn 14:8). (Excerpted from Magnificat, Vol. 19, No. 4 / June 2017, p. 3-4)
May we be forever grateful to our amazing God, who consummately fulfills our truest human desire for a perfect Father.
Thank you for your prayers and for your continued support of FRC and the family.
Sincerely,
Dan Hart
Managing Editor for Publications
Family Research Council
FRC Articles
Secretary Mattis: Focus on War-Fighting, Ditch the Social Engineering – Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin
Maxine Waters: The Left’s Best Against Donald Trump? – Ken Blackwell
Rolling Thunder, ‘Missing Man’ tables and the Bible – Lt. Gen. Jerry Boykin
Democrat Outreach to Pro-Lifers Will Take More Than Talk – Tony Perkins
New Research Shows “Adult-Like” Nerves in Very Young Embryos: Affirming the Likelihood of Fetal Pain – Arina Grossu
Hungarian Megachurch a Model of Salt and Light in Europe – Peter Sprigg
Budapest Family Summit Explores Ways to Revitalize the Family – Peter Sprigg
A Fitting Tribute to Memorial Day – Chris Gacek
FRC’s Arina Grossu Speaks at New D.C. Abortion Business Operated by Controversial Abortionist – Arina Grossu
“Blasphemy Laws” Violate Religious Liberty – Travis Weber
Emotionally Manipulative Videos Can’t Save Planned Parenthood – Dan Hart
Religious Liberty
Religious Liberty in the Public Square
VICTORY: Court affirms Christian’s right to refuse in good faith to make ‘LGBT Pride’ shirts – Peter LaBarbera, LifeSiteNews
Rage at Rubio’s Bible Tweets: More Evidence of Troubling Bias Against Christians – John Zmirak, The Stream
Sheriff Ordered to Remove ‘Blessed are the Peacemakers’ Decals – Todd Starnes, The Stream
Undercover Planned Parenthood Video Removed from YouTube at Judge’s Order – Alexandra DeSanctis, National Review
Parents Sue San Diego School District Over ‘Initiative to Combat Islamophobia’ – Heather Clark, Christian News
White House Acts to Roll Back Birth-Control Mandate for Religious Employers – Robert Pear, The New York Times
International Religious Freedom
The continuing tragedy of Egypt’s Coptic Christians – Samuel Tadros, The Washington Post
Trump Should Adopt an International Religious-Freedom Policy with Teeth – Tina Ramirez, National Review
Wives of Chinese torture victims beg Congress for help – June Cheng, WORLD
5 Ways to give persecuted Christians help beyond the hashtag – David Mills, Aleteia
India Arrests Christians for Taking Kids to Bible Camp – Samuel Smith, The Christian Post
Life
Abortion
Why The Latest Planned Parenthood Video Is A Breakthrough – Becky Visosky, The Federalist
Planned Parenthood’s Main Abortion Clinic Has Injured 4 Women in Botched Abortions Already This Year – Cheryl Sullenger, Life News
Planned Parenthood to Close Three Abortion Clinics in California – Micaiah Bilger, LifeNews
New law may force pro-life groups to hire abortion activists – Fr. Mark Hodges, LifeSiteNews
Undercover Video Exposes Deep Contradiction at the Heart of Planned Parenthood – Jay Hobbs, The Daily Signal
Planned Parenthood’s newly released annual report shows abortions have increased – again – Susan Michelle-Hanson, Live Action
Adoption
Why women aren’t choosing adoption – and how pro-lifers can change that – Matt Hadro, Crux
Texas Adoption Law Could Jumpstart Christian Agencies Again – Kate Shellnutt, Christianity Today
Illinois Purges Social Workers and Foster Families Who Don't 'Facilitate Transgenderism' – Mary Hasson, The Federalist
Bioethics
Creating babies from skin cells turns procreation into transaction: scientist – Maggie Maslak, CAN/EWTN News
Time for a "Populist" Bioethics Commission – Wesley J. Smith, First Things
The Dangerous Advance on Assisted Suicide You Probably Haven't Heard About – Bobby Schindler, NewsBusters
Pope Francis Cautions Against Dangers of Genetic Manipulation That Can Create 'Super Humans' – Felix N. Codilla, The Christian Post
Obamacare
McConnell steps into Obamacare firing line – Burgess Everett and Jennifer Haberkorn, Politico
McConnell faces a challenge passing health care in Senate – Alan Fram, Associated Press
Family
Economics/Education
Deliver Us from iPads – Heather Wilhelm, National Review
What Exactly Are Christian Schools Selling (or Marketing)? – Robert F. Davis, The Christian Post
Many Women Want Careers That Are Compatible with Raising Children – Naomi Schaefer Riley, Family Studies
The Closing of the American Mind Thirty Years Later: A Symposium – Nathan Schlueter, Public Discourse
Do-It-Yourself Biology – Deacon James H. Toner, Crisis
Obama’s regulations in 2016 to drain economy by $2 trillion – David Sherfinski, The Washington Times
Marriage
Delaying Marriage and Parenthood – John Stonestreet and Roberto Rivera, BreakPoint
Study: Growing Number of Millennials Believe in Traditional Gender Roles
The Surprising Link Between Broken Families And America’s Opioid Crisis – Tamás Ungar, The Federalist
What The New York Times Gets Wrong About Marriage, Health, and Well-Being – Tyler J. VanderWeele, Family Studies
Faith/Character/Culture
To Repair Our Fractured Republic, Get To Know Your Neighbors – Gracy Olmstead, The Federalist
The Kids Are Not Okay—and Neither Is America – Collin Hansen, The Gospel Coalition
Anne With an E Trades Realism for ‘Realism’ – Esther O’Reilly, The Stream
Video: On Pride, Humility, and Social Media – Bp. Robert Barron, Word On Fire
America’s Social Fabric Is Eroding. Government Must Avoid Feeding the Problem. – Sen. Mike Lee, The Daily Signal
Human Sexuality
Nevada governor signs bill to ban conversion therapy, with exemption for religious organizations – Chandrika Narayan, Fox 13
What’s at Stake in the Left’s Effort to Redefine ‘Sex’ in Pennsylvania Law – Michael Geer, The Daily Signal
Men and Women Are Not the Same – Alastair Roberts, The Gospel Coalition
What’s in a Name? Why Christians Should Be Wary of the Word "Transgender" – Andrew T. Walker, Public Discourse
Why the New York Times Now Favors Adultery – Austin Ruse, Crisis
Human Trafficking
New Human Trafficking Foundation May Support Abortion and Prostitution – Austin Ruse, C-Fam
A vulnerable approach to ending human trafficking – Raleigh Sadler, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
Pornography
5 Steps for Finding Freedom From Porn and Masturbation – Alice Neaves, The Christian Post
5 Reasons Satan loves pornography – Tom Hoopes, Aleteia
Chris Rock Gets Real About 'Damaging Affects' of Porn – Jeannie Law, The Christian Post
Why Fighting Sex Trafficking Absolutely Involves Fighting Pornography – Karen Countryman-Roswurm, Fight the New Drug
Fighting the New Drug: Pornography – Sue Haggerty, Catholic Digest
