Social Conservative Review - May 16, 2018

May 16, 2018

Dear Friends,

Bishop Robert Barron recently wrote a concise yet profound reflection on John 17:1-11. Here it is in full (emphasis mine):

“Friends, Jesus’ prayer in today’s Gospel sums up his wonderful work as he is about to return to his Father. Jesus was, in his very person, the meeting of heaven and earth. God and humanity came together in him, and his entire ministry was the outward expression of that inward identity. By calling a scattered Israel to unity, inviting the poor to table fellowship, healing the sick in body and heart, and embodying the path of forgiveness and love, Jesus was bringing God’s will and purpose to earth.

Now, in his Passion and Death, Jesus brought heaven all the way down into the world. He carried the divine light into the darkest places of the human condition—hatred, cruelty, violence, corruption, stupidity, suffering, and death itself—and thereby transformed them. And the proof that heaven is able to transform earth is, of course, the Resurrection.

Now we know that cruelty, hatred, violence, fear, suffering, and death are not the most powerful forces in the world. Now we know that the divine love is more powerful. God’s kingdom has, in principle, broken the kingdoms of the world, which thrive upon, and in turn produce, those very negativities.”

This is a great reminder for believers to not be afraid of witnessing this divine love to those who do not believe. Christ has transformed even the worst thing that can possibly happen in life—death. We truly have nothing to fear.

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 Media

One Year Later: The Impact of President Trump’s Executive Order Protecting Religious Liberty – Travis Weber

Fairfax County School Board to Teach Kids: “Biological Sex Is Meaningless” – Cathy Ruse

Remembering the Little Ones Up Above on Mother’s Day – Dan Hart

Sponsors of California’s AB 2943 Claim It Wouldn’t Ban the Bible. Maybe. But What About These Books? – Peter Sprigg

“Death Panels” Are Now a Reality – Patrina Mosley

Speaker Series: NIFLA: Preserving Free Speech for Those Who Advocate for Women and the Unborn – Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.)

Religious Liberty and National Security Go Hand in Hand

 

Religious Liberty

Religious Liberty in the Public Square

How a ‘Far-Left Propaganda Machine’ Got a Respected Legal Group Expelled by Amazon – Greg Scott, The Daily Signal

Study: Trump Religious Freedom Order Helps 13.7 Million Receive Health Care and Social Services – Tyler O'Neil, PJ Media

Tony Perkins appointed to US panel on international religious freedom – Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service

Catholic Marriage Counselor Fired Because of her Religious Beliefs – ToddStarnes.com

LGBT Activists Falsely Smear Those Protecting Children in Need – Monica Burke, The Daily Signal

Businesses to Avoid If You Can – Mark Bauerlein, First Things

5 Reasons The Southern Poverty Law Center Is A Hate-Mongering Scam – Joy Pullmann, The Federalist

Trump Religious Freedom Order Helps Charities Serve Over 13.7 Million in Need, Analysis Finds – Samuel Smith, The Christian Post

College demands student remove Jesus, Bible references from graduation speech. Then she fights back – Dave Urbanski, The Blaze

Fight over cross at Florida public park resumes before appeals court – Kim Chatelain, The Times-Picayune

International Religious Freedom

North Korea’s Prisoner Release: 3 Down, 119,997 to Go – Olivia Enos, The Daily Signal

Explosions at 3 Indonesian churches leave at least 2 dead: reports – Max Greenwood, The Hill

Arrested in Chengdu – June Cheng, WORLD

State Department knocks China over church harassment – Joel Gehrke, Washington Examiner

Military Religious Freedom

Lawmakers Say Army May Have Violated Law by Targeting Baptist Chaplain – ToddStarnes.com

 

Life

Abortion

Iowa legislature votes to ban abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected – Nancy Flanders, Live Action

Planned Parenthood sues Iowa for banning abortion of babies with beating hearts – Claire Chretien, LifeSiteNews

New Device Lets Pregnant Moms Take Ultrasound Pictures of Their Baby on Their Phone – Micaiah Bilger, LifeNews

Thousands protest Trudeau’s abortion agenda at Canadian March for Life – Lianne Laurence, LifeSiteNews

I Had an Abortion. Here’s the Message I Want to Share With Other Women. – Victoria Robinson, The Daily Signal

Adoption

4 Things a Birth Mom Wants Adoptive Families To Know – Adrian Collins, Her View From Home

10 things that will kill your orphan care ministry: Part 4 – Rick Morton, Ethics & Religious Liberty

Commission

Will Placing Fewer Children in Foster Care Fix the System? – Naomi Schaefer Riley, Family Studies

The Ache While We Wait to Adopt – Caroline Saunders, Her View From Home

Bioethics

Judge Overturns California Law Legalizing Assisted Suicide – Steven Ertelt, LifeNews

 

Family

Marriage

Daily Rituals Cultivate Lasting Love – Amber Lapp, Family Studies

He’s My Husband, Not My Savior – Kelli Bachara, Her View From Home

Encouragement for New Moms – Alysse ElHage, Family Studies

Economics/Education

New Data Show California Kids’ Math Achievement Took A Nosedive After Common Core – Joy Pullmann, The Federalist

Why Employers Are Ignoring The Untapped Potential Of Stay-At-Home Moms – Joy Pullmann, The Federalist

This Is a Bad Look: In Current Farm Bill, Conservatives Prop Up Rich Farmers – Daren Bakst, The Daily Signal

Straight Talk About the Success Sequence, Marriage, and Poverty – W. Bradford Wilcox, Family Studies

Faith/Character/Culture

The War on Wisdom – Dennis Prager, The Daily Signal

You Can Pursue Your Dreams and Love Your Family – Katie Warner, National Catholic Register

The Democrats’ God Gap – David French, National Review

Nevada bank robber, FBI agent who arrested him, pray at White House – Debra J. Saunders, Las Vegas Review-Journal

‘Every Day With Her Was the Best Day:’ Remembering My Mom – Armstrong Williams, The Daily Signal

The Childhood Quality That’s the Best Predictor of Health, Wealth, and Happiness – Annie Holmquist, Intellectual Takeout

Human Sexuality

Male Sexlessness is Rising, But Not for the Reasons Incels Claim – Lyman Stone, Family Studies

Why A Compromise On Transgender Politics Would Be Capitulation – Walt Heyer, The Federalist

Consent is No Cure – Craig Michael White, Ethika Politika

Human Trafficking

Uncovering The Silent Sex Trafficking Epidemic In New York City – Fight the New Drug

Christian Rocker Risks Life in Undercover Mission to Rescue Victims in Sex Trade – Jeannie Law, The Christian Post

Pornography

You Can Write An Open Letter to the Pornography Industry – National Center on Sexual Exploitation