Social Conservative Review - May 1, 2018

May 1, 2018

Dear Friends,

If you pay much attention to what everyone is talking about these days—what some might call “news”—it’s easy to pick up on a troubling pattern. Kyle Smith at National Review has pinpointed it well: it’s “a culture of enmity.” It’s something that both liberals and conservatives are guilty of—a near constant state of indignation, usually aimed at someone who said something “hateful,” that must be made publicly known. As Smith observes, it can be easy to fall into the trap of fighting hate with more hate: “Any uneasy feelings about hate are washed clean when that hate is obviously justified. Hating haters, these days, produces a kind of ecstasy. It is easily mistaken for love.”

As Christians, we are called to something higher. Even when we feel that we are justified in “calling out” someone for something that they have said or written that we find offensive, we need to slow down and give our response careful consideration. As David French has observed: “If you truly hate the offensive speech in question — if you truly believe it’s hurtful — why share it far and wide? Why amplify the offensive voice? Arguably, the worst rebuke for a troll, the worst punishment for the self-promoting radical, is indifference. I have my own standard for engaging bad ideas — First, I wait. I ask myself: Are these ideas gaining traction? Do they threaten to make a material difference in the marketplace of ideas? If the answer is yes, then I engage. If the answer is no, I let the offensive speech die a natural death.” In other words, ignoring offensive remarks can often be the most prudent course of action, especially in our current cultural climate of ubiquitous outrage.

At the risk of sounding a little bit trite and naïve, it’s time for Christians to start a revolution of positivity by infusing the public square with truth, goodness, and beauty. Instead of pontificating about the latest outrage on Facebook, share an insightful spiritual quote you heard from last Sunday’s sermon, or share a link to an inspiring story about the adoption of a needy child. The authentic Christian life should not solely be focused on exposing the darkness of evil. Our primary goal should be to magnify the lightness of good.

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

The Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act: Ensuring a Free Marketplace of Adoption Providers – Travis Weber

Parents Stand Up for Children in Sex Ed Sit Out – Cathy Ruse

More Sex Ed and Even More Stalinism at the Local School Board – Cathy Ruse and Austin Ruse

Pompeo: A Proven Leader for the State Department – Ken Blackwell

Pompeo Is Ready to Lead – William G. Boykin

Why the Alfie Evans Case Is a Full-Blown Example of Forced Euthanasia – Om Narayanan

Can You See Me? – Patrina Mosley

Faith-Based Adoption Providers Must Be Allowed to Serve Needy Children

State Department Defends Actual Human Rights Instead of Made-Up Rights – Travis Weber

12 Resources to Fight Sexual Exploitation, Part 2 – Peter Sprigg

12 Resources to Fight Sexual Exploitation, Part 1 – Peter Sprigg

Who Owns Free Speech on the Internet?

“Suicide Machine” Shows Us Why Combating Euthanasia Is Crucial to the Pro-Life Cause – Om Narayanan

 

Religious Liberty

Religious Liberty in the Public Square

New California Bill Could Ban Sale of Some Christian Books (Yes, Really) – Mark Meckler, Patheos

School District Forbids Parents From Opting Kids Out of LGBT Lessons – ToddStarnes.com

Senators are failing the religious test for office – Jeremy Dys, The Hill

The Unsoundness of Silencing Hate – Elizabeth Scalia, Word On Fire

School District Bans Principal From Inviting Parents to Pray at Flag Pole After Atheist Complaint – Samuel Smith, The Christian Post

US Christian who refuses to pay taxes until abortion is defunded has first big win in court – Calvin Freiburger, LifeSiteNews

Iowa Senate refuses to confirm Board of Medicine appointee over post on LGBTQ issues – William Petroski, Des Moines Register

Southern Poverty Law Center Quietly Deleted List of ‘Anti-Muslim’ Extremists After Legal Threat – Jack Crowe, National Review

Satanists Declare War on Arkansas Ten Commandments – ToddStarnes.com

International Religious Freedom

State Dept. Convinced Andrew Brunson Is Innocent, Says Turkey Lacks 'Credible Evidence' – Samuel Smith, The Christian Post

Attack on Nigerian church kills 15 worshippers – Onize Ohikere, WORLD

Trudeau: ‘We will not apologize’ for valuing abortion over free speech – Calvin Freiburger, LifeSiteNews

Military Religious Freedom

Baptist Army Chaplain Faces Punishment for Religious Beliefs – ToddStarnes.com

San Diego-based admiral declines to probe Bible placement at Okinawa hospital – Carl Prine, The San Diego Union-Tribune

 

Life

Abortion

House passes bill banning abortions based on Down Syndrome – Liz Navratil & Angela Couloumbis, The Inquirer

State Department: Abortion ‘is not a human right’ – Joel Gehrke, Washington Examiner

Pro-Choice Movement Opposes Abortion Alternatives in South Bend – Alexandra DeSanctis, National Review

Cecile Richards Finally Leaves Planned Parenthood After 12 Years and 3.5 Million Abortions – Micaiah Bilger, LifeNews

Adoption

Adopting Priorities – Kathryn Jean Lopez, The Stream

10 things that will kill your church's orphan care ministry: Part 1 – Rick Morton, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission

Finally a family: Inside the adoption process for three Bedford County sisters – Siobhan McGirl, WDBJ7

10 things that will kill your orphan care ministry: Part 2 – Rick Morton, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission

Bioethics

The State-Ordered Killing of Young Alfie Evans – John O’Sullivan, National Review

Alfie Evans’ Death Illustrates The Monstrous Logic Of The Welfare State – John Daniel Davidson, The Federalist

Alfie Evans and Our Moral Crossroads – Charles C. Camosy, First Things

Obamacare

Republicans have a long way to go toward fully repealing ObamaCare – Rachel Bovard, The Hill

 

Family

Marriage

Healing a Hookup Culture through the Goods of Marriage – Timothy P. O'Malley, Family Studies

“The Flash,” Fear, and the Kenosis of Marriage – Rachel Bulman, Word on Fire

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson should put a ring on it — for his kids' sake – W. Bradford Wilcox, USA Today

Effective Marriage Preparation for the Next Generation Is More Important Than Ever – Tiffany L. Clyde and Alan J. Hawkins, Family Studies

The New States’ Rights: Is Parenthood Defined by Biology or Government? – Adam J. MacLeod, Public Discourse

A Marriage Restored – Thomas Jeffries, Focus on the Family

For Most Couples Who Stay the Course, Marriage Gets Better With Time: An Interview with Paul R. Amato – Alysse ElHage, Family Studies

Economics/Education

Anti-homeschooling bill defeated in CaliforniaThe Desert Review

Why Christian Higher Education Still Matters – Chris Hazell, Word on Fire

New National Test Scores Show Betsy DeVos Was Right About Public Schools – Mary Clare Amselem, Intellectual Takeout

How Colleges Are Ripping Off a Generation of Ill-Prepared Students – Walter E. Williams, The Daily Signal

Faith/Character/Culture

Why you should encourage your child to befriend the kid who’s “different” – Adrian Buntin, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission

Make It Easy for Your Kids to Love God – Ray Ortlund, Desiring God

From the Depths of John Krasinski’s Catholic Past: A Quiet Work of Art – Sarah Perry, Benedict XVI Institute

When God Shouts – Pat Flynn, Word on Fire

Christian, choose hope in an age of cynicism – Jason Duesing, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission

Human Sexuality

The School System Corrupts And Sexualizes Our Children And Calls It 'Sex Ed' – Matt Walsh, The Daily Wire

Promiscuous America: Smart, Secular, and Somewhat Less Happy – Nicholas H. Wolfinger, Family Studies

How the New Corporate Elite Sold Same-Sex Marriage to the American Public – Scott Yenor, Public Discourse

Encouraging Intentional Dating in a Hookup Culture – Meg T. McDonnell, Family Studies

Human Trafficking

This Man Rescues Children From Sex Slavery And Wants You To Know This About Backpage – Bre Payton, The Federalist

Pornography

Jesus’s Compassion for Those Who Love Porn – Mo Isom, The Gospel Coalition

Why redeeming our thoughts matters – Liz Wann, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission